Indian Oil to give Rs 50 crore for Cheetah reintroduction project

Tags:

According to an agreement signed on July 2 with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), IndianOil will contribute Rs 50 crore over four years to the government's cheetah reintroduction project.

Important facts

• IndianOil is the first corporate that has come forward to support "Project Cheetah" under CSR, as the project is not only of national importance, but is also essential to balance the ecosystem.

• IndianOil will contribute Rs 50.22 crore over 4 years for project components such as pyre logging, its habitat management and conservation, environmental development, staff training and veterinary health care.

• Under this cheetah reintroduction project, 8-10 cheetahs will be brought from Namibia and South Africa and kept in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

• Last month, India and Namibia signed an agreement to reintroduce cheetahs that were declared extinct in the country in 1952.

• The first batch of four male and equal number of female cheetahs will reach India from Namibia by August 15.

• The cheetah is the only large carnivore that has been completely wiped out from India, mainly due to over-hunting and habitat loss.

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.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• It has been constituted under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• Authority consists of the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forests as Chairperson, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests as Vice-Chairperson.

• Its members include three Members of Parliament, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and other members.

• Bhupender Yadav is the chairperson of NTCA.

• Ashwini Kumar Choubey is the  Vice- Chairperson.