1. World Snake Day: 16 July
Tags: Important Days
World Snake Day was celebrated on 16 July 2023 at the National Zoological Park, (Delhi Zoo) in New Delhi.
An Overview of the news:
- The purpose of celebrating World Snake Day is to protect snakes by raising awareness about the snakes of India, mistrust about snakes and the importance of snakes in our ecology.
- On this occasion, the snake rearing staff conducted the enrichment activity by providing cage furniture in the reptile house. Along with this, tree plantation was also done inside the snake houses.
- After Mission Life with about 350 visitors and young children at the Reptile House talks about snakes and healthy living.
- Reptile House Walk was organized on this occasion.
- Presently 31 snakes of 07 species are present in the National Zoological Park.
National Parks of India:
- There are currently 106 national parks in India.
- The largest national park in India is the Hemis National Park (Ladakh).
- The smallest national park in India is South Button National Park (Andaman and Nicobar Islands).
- The first national park of India is Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand), which was established in 1936.
- Cheetah was introduced to Kuno National Park in India for the first time after independence.
- The maximum number of tigers in India is located in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka.
- The maximum number of 11 national parks in India is in the state of Madhya Pradesh, where there are a total of 11 national parks.
2. NTCA forms new committee to oversee Cheetah project
Tags: National News
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) set up an 11-member Cheetah Project Steering Committee.
An Overview of the News
- The committee works under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Rajesh Gopal, general secretary of the Global Tiger Forum, has been appointed as the chairman of the committee.
- The decision to form the committee was taken after the death of six cheetahs involved in the translocation project.
- The objective of the committee is to address the challenges and issues related to the Cheetah Translocation Project.
- The committee includes 10 other members with diverse backgrounds and expertise.
Cheetah Project Committee Members:
- Rajesh Gopal (Chairman): Experienced in wildlife conservation and management.
- RN Mehrotra: Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Rajasthan.
- PR Sinha: Former Director of Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- HS Negi: Former Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF)
- PK Malik: Former faculty member of Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- GS Rawat: Former Dean of Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- Mittal Patel: Social worker based in Ahmedabad
- Qamar Qureshi: WII Scientist and Inspector General of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
- Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Madhya Pradesh
- Chief Wildlife Warden
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
- It was established in December 2005.
- The establishment of NTCA was based on the recommendation made by the Tiger Task Force.
- The primary objective of the NTCA is to reorganise the management of Project Tiger and India's many tiger reserves.
- NTCA plays a key role in formulating policies and guidelines for the conservation of tigers, their habitats and prey species.
- NTCA oversees the management and administration of various tiger reserves located across India.
3. Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary will be developed as a second home for cheetahs
Tags: State News
Recently the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh has announced that the Gandisagar Wildlife Sanctuary will be developed as a new home for cheetahs in the next six months.
An overview of the news
According to wildlife experts, after the increase in the number of cheetahs in Kuno National Park, there will not be enough area for them, so it is necessary to relocate them to another place.
Gandisagar Wildlife Sanctuary has vast open spaces and grasslands surrounded by shrubs, which is an ideal landscape for cheetah.
About Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in northwestern Madhya Pradesh (Mandsaur and Neemuch districts) near the Rajasthan border.
It was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1974.
The Chambal River flows through the Gandisagar Sanctuary and divides it into two parts.
Khair, Salai, Kardhai, Dhavada, Tendu and Palash are the major tree species found here.
Animals like chinkara, nilgai and spotted deer, panther, striped hyena and jackal are found in this wildlife sanctuary.
Gandisagar Wildlife Sanctuary has many places of historical, archaeological and religious importance like - Chaurasigarh, Chaturbhujnath Temple, Bhakaji Rock Painting, Narsinghjhar Hinglajgarh Fort, Karkeshwar Temple.
4. Nepal became a founding member of the International Big Cats Alliance
Tags: International News
Nepal has become a founding member of the International Big Cats Alliance launched by India on 13 April.
An Overview of the News
The alliance was launched under India's initiative, and during the launch event, Nepal's Energy Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet presented a letter indicating Nepal's membership as a founding member to India's Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav. Handed over
The International Big Cats Alliance aims to conserve seven big cat species including tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas.
Nepal's tiger population has seen a significant increase, increasing from 121 in 2010 to 335 in 2022.
Nepal successfully achieved its target of doubling the tiger population by 2022, as done during the first Tiger Summit in 2010 in St. Petersburg.
About the International Big Cats Alliance
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was launched by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on April 9, 2023, for the conservation of seven big cat species including tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma.
The alliance aims to reach 97 range countries covering the natural habitats of these big cats and strengthen global cooperation and efforts for their conservation.
Ministers from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal, Ethiopia and Malaysia expressed their support for India's efforts in alliance and conservation.
About Nepal
The kingdom of Nepal was established by the Shah dynasty.
It is a landlocked country in South Asia.
Prime Minister - Pushpa Kamal Dahal
President - Ram Chandra Paudel
Capital - Kathmandu
Currency - Nepalese Rupee
5. PM Modi launches Big Cat Alliance for conservation of seven cats
Tags: National News
On April 9, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) in Karnataka.
An Overview of the News
- IBCA focuses on the conservation of seven species of big cats, including tigers, lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, snow leopards, and clouded leopards.
- The alliance seeks to bring together countries, conservationists and experts from around the world to collaborate on conservation efforts for these seven big cat species.
- The purpose of the alliance is to facilitate collaboration between governments, NGOs and the private sector to create sustainable solutions for conservation.
- The introduction of the IBCA is an important step towards the conservation of these magnificent animals, as their populations face unprecedented threats from habitat loss, poaching and human-animal conflicts.
About Karnataka
- It is a state in southwest India and is bordered by Maharashtra to the north, Goa to the northwest, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest.
- The state has a varied landscape, with the Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east.
- Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is known as the "Silicon Valley of India" and is a major centre of technology and innovation.
- Hampi, located in northern Karnataka, was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Destinations in Karnataka include the hill station of Coorg, the beach town of Gokarna and the historic city of Bijapur.
- Kannada is the official language of Karnataka, although English and Hindi are also widely spoken.
Chief Minister - Basavaraj Bommai
Governor - Thawar Chand Gehlot
Official Animal - Indian Elephant
Official Bird - Indian Roller
Official Dance - Yakshagana
Official Song - Jaya Bharat Jananiya Tanujate
6. Cheetah died of kidney disease in Kuno National Park
Tags: National News
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A cheetah named Sasha, brought from Namibia, died on March 27 due to kidney disease.
An Overview of the News
Sasha was one of eight cheetahs relocated to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on 17 September.
This female cheetah was four and a half years old.
Sasha's creatinine level was very high, indicating poor kidney function.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) - J.S. Chauhan
Important Point
The first batch of cheetahs translocated from Namibia to India were released on 17 September at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
The cheetahs (5 females and 3 males) were brought from Namibia in Africa as part of 'Project Cheetah'.
It was the first time in the world that a large carnivore was translocated from one continent to another.
About Kuno National Park
It is a protected area located in Madhya Pradesh, India, named after the Kuno River.
It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1981 with an initial area of 344.686 km (133.084 sq mi) in Sheopur and Morena districts.
In 2018, the Kuno National Park was given the status of a national park and is part of the Khathyar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
Kuno National Park was selected as a possible site for the Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project, which aimed to establish a second lion population in India.
Between 1998 and 2003, approximately 1,650 residents of 24 villages were resettled to sites outside the protected area to make way for the project.
7. Twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh
Tags: National National News
Twelve cheetahs from South Africa were brought to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on 18 February. Of the 12 cheetahs, seven are male and five are female.
An overview of the news
The first group of Namibian cheetahs reached Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on 17 September 2022 under the cheetah reintroduction programme.
The second batch of Cheetahs started their journey to Kuno on 17 February 2023 from Tambo International Airport in Gauteng.
The aircraft landed at Gwalior Air Force Base in Madhya Pradesh on 18 February.
The onward journey was undertaken in Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force.
Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the cheetahs in their quarantine enclosures.
The health of the cheetahs will be checked and then they will be kept in quarantine for a month.
Reintroduction Action Plan
Reintroduction of a species means releasing it in an area where it is capable of surviving.
Under the scheme, 50 cheetahs will be released in various national parks of the country over a period of 5 years.
Extinction of cheetahs
The last cheetah of the country was found dead in the year 1947 in Chhattisgarh and in the year 1952 it was declared extinct in the country.
Habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases are the major causes of their extinction.
About ‘Project Cheetah’
This is a one of its kind project in which a species is being brought out of the country (from South Africa / Namibia) and restored to the country.
The subspecies of the extinct cheetah in India was the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) and the subspecies of the cheetah being brought back to the country is the African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus).
Research has shown that the genes of both these subspecies are similar.
8. India, South Africa sign MoU to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually over next eight to ten years
Tags: International News
India and South Africa on 27 January signed a Memorandum of Understanding to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually over the next eight to ten year.
An overview of the news
As per the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs will be brought from South Africa to India during February 2023.
These cheetahs will be joined by eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia during 2022.
Increasing the cheetah population is a priority for the Government of India and its conservation will have important and far-reaching consequences, aiming to achieve a number of ecological objectives.
After the import of 12 cheetahs in February, there are plans to move 12 cheetahs annually for the next 8 to 10 years.
The initiative to reintroduce the cheetah to India comes after a request from the Indian government, after the species had become locally extinct due to over-hunting and habitat loss.
Reintroduction Action Plan
Reintroduction of a species means releasing it in an area where it is capable of surviving.
Under the scheme, 50 cheetahs will be released in various national parks of the country over a period of 5 years.
Extinction of cheetahs
The last cheetah of the country was found dead in the year 1947 in Chhattisgarh and in the year 1952 it was declared extinct in the country.
Habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases are the major causes of their extinction.
About ‘Project Cheetah’
This is a one of its kind project in which a species is being brought out of the country (from South Africa / Namibia) and restored to the country.
The subspecies of the extinct cheetah in India was the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) and the subspecies of the cheetah being brought back to the country is the African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus).
Research has shown that the genes of both these subspecies are similar.
9. International Cheetah Day
Tags: Important Days
Every year 4 December is observed as International Cheetah Day. The day is observed to raise people's awareness about safeguarding the cheetah from extinction.
In India the International Cheetah Day was celebrated by the National Zoological Park, New Delhi (Delhi Zoo) in collaboration with the Central Zoo Authority.
Background of the Day
American zoologist Dr Laurie Marker is credited with creating International Cheetah Day. Dr Marker founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund in 1991 and she designated December 4 as International Cheetah Day in 2010. Since that year, the world has been celebrating this day.
Cheetah is the fastest animal in the world and at present the majority of the animal is found in Namibia and South Africa. It was declared as an extinct animal in 1954 by the government.
The Government of India has started a project to repopulate India with Cheetah brought from Namibia and settled in Kuno National park in Madhya Pradesh.
10. Union Environment Ministry has set up Cheetah Task force headed by Alok Kumar
Tags: committee Person in news
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a 9 member task force on 7 October 2022 to monitor cheetah introduction in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. It will be headed by Alok Kumar, Retd. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh,
According to the ministry the task force has been constituted for a period of 2 years and will “review, progress and monitor the health status of Cheetah, upkeep of the quarantine & soft release enclosures, protection status of entire area, adherence to the defined protocols by forest & veterinary officials and advice on Cheetah introduction in India to the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and NTCA on status of Cheetah with respect to overall health, behaviour and their upkeep.”
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would facilitate the working of the Cheetah Task Force and render all necessary help.
On 17 September 2022 the Prime Minister Narendra Modi released 8 wild cheetahs of Namibia in the Kuno National Park in an ambitious effort to repopulate the Indian wildlife with cheetahs. Cheetah was officially declared extinct in India in 1952.
Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change: Bhupendra Yadav
