India plans reintroduction of cheetahs into the wild

India is to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild nearly half a century after they became extinct.

The country is among 15 others which have lost entire populations of cheetahs in the last six decades.

Asiatic cheetahs, the kind that once roamed India, now survive only in Iran and they are thought to number fewer than a hundred.

India has set itself six months to find a suitable terrain for reintroducing the animal. Possible sites include several areas in Rajasthan along the border with Pakistan, as well as a 2,000 square kilometres stretch near a sanctuary in Gujarat in the west.

Locations in the state of Chhattisgarh in the north, Madhya Pradesh and Maharasthra in central India, and Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the south have also been shortlisted.

The sites will be analysed for data on the state of the habitat, number of prey and prospects of human-animal conflict.

Conservation expert Bibhab Talukdar said: "The gene pool among other things need to be looked into. The population in Iran is closer to what India had than the one in Africa.

"One of the main issues that must be addressed is why we lost cheetahs in the first place. We need to learn from the past for this project to be a success."

Mr Talukdar, who is also a member of India's National Board for Wildlife, added: "We need to look at the home range of the cheetahs and see if they can be reintroduced there. "What also needs studying is the spread of the tiger population, as big cats usually come into conflict with cheetahs."

India's minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh told an Indian newspaper: "Personally I feel that we would be reclaiming a part of our wonderful and varied ecological history if the cheetah was to be reintroduced in the wild."

Experts believe moving cheetahs from Africa would be better for the survival of the animals in the country considering the depleted population in Iran.

Research indicates that between 1799 and 1968, there were at least 230 cheetahs in India. Most were killed due to conflicts with sheep and goat herders during the colonial era.