MP hides behind national security clause on Project Cheetah

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has refused to provide information under the Right to Information Act on management of cheetahs brought from Africa and their cubs born in India.

In response to a request filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, the department cited Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, which allows a public authority to withhold information if its disclosure would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests of the State, relations with a foreign State, or lead to the incitement of an offence.

Dubey had requested the MP forest department to provide "management correspondence records of the Cheetah Project in Kuno and Mandsaur".

In his response, Saurav Kumar Kabra, public information officer in the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh, said: "The information (under point number 2) is related to the management branch, which has decided not to provide information under Section 8(1)(a) of the Right to Information Act, 2005."

Dubey said this is the first time that information on Project Cheetah has been denied under RTI Act since the launch of the programme with the release of eight Namibian cheetahs into Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022.

Dubey had previously received information under RTI on the health of the first cheetah cub born on Indian terrain.

Information obtained by Dubey revealed that the cub's right leg was fractured on November 28.

"I have been disclosing irregularities in the conservation of big cats since 2013, but this is the first time I received a reply stating that disclosure of information about cheetahs will affect national security or relations with foreign countries," Dubey told PTI.

The first batch of eight cheetahs was introduced in India in September 2022, and the second batch of 12 cheetahs was flown in from South Africa last February.

The government now plans to introduce cheetahs into a fenced area in the Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, possibly by the end of the year, with a focus on breeding.

A proposal to set up a cheetah conservation breeding centre in Gujarat's Banni grasslands was also cleared by the Central Zoo Authority in February.

According to a document released by the Union environment ministry earlier this year, the long-term goal is to establish a metapopulation of cheetahs in the Kuno-Gandhisagar landscape (an area of around 9,000 sq km) of 60-70 individuals after restorative measures, prey availability, and scientific management are ensured.

The much-vaunted cheetah conservation project initially drew criticism due to the animals' deaths. However, with the birth of 12 cubs this year, officials say the project is on the right track.

Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs in January. Jwala, another female cheetah from Namibia, also gave birth to three cubs in the same month. She had delivered four cubs last year, but only one of them survived.

With South African cheetah Gamini giving birth to six cubs in March, the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno is now 26.

Since last March, seven adult cheetahs, including Shaurya, have died due to various reasons.

The seven adult cheetahs -- three females and four males -- who died include Sasha, Uday, Daksha, Tejas, Suraj, Dhatri, and Shaurya.

The first six fatalities occurred in a six-month period between March and August 2023.