Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): Apart from the death of cheetahs at Kuno National Park, the Cheetah Relocation Project in India is facing yet another hurdle in its second phase as villagers in Mandsaur district are protesting against the fencing of Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. According to a Times Of India report, the villagers have been joined by local political leaders in their agitation, due to which, the authorities have stopped the fencing work as of now.
While the authorities want to fence a 28 km long stretch of the sanctuary in order to prevent trespassing, the villagers are afraid that it will affect their traditional grazing practices.
People of four villages around the area, namely Bassi, Booj, Rawali, Kudi and Janapani make their livelihood through cattles. The wildlife sanctuary has served as a grazing ground for these cattles for several years. Due to the fear of losing their livelihood, the villagers have threatened to agitate if the work resumes.
The TOI report further states that the site is significant for the cheetah reintroduction programme and has been surveyed by the African team as well.
Earlier, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had sanctioned Gandhi Sagar as a suitable habitat for the cheetahs and the fencing work was to be completed within six months.
With the fencing work facing resistance from the local community, the project’s future is in a difficult situation until the authorities manage to convince the villagers.
Notably, eight Namibian cheetahs, comprising five females and three males, were brought to Sheopur’s Kuno National Park and released into special enclosures by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17 last year as part of an ambitious reintroduction programme of the species.
Later, 12 cheetahs were brought to the national park from South Africa in February this year.
