Previous Year Question
Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A) – 12 Cheetahs arrived from South Africa to India in February, 2023.
Reason (R) – Restoring Cheetah population is considered to be a priority for India.
Select the correct answer using the code given below –
Code –
Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not correct explanation of (A)
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is correct explanation of (A)
(A) is false but (R) is true
(A) is true but (R) is false
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Assertion (A) is true. Under the Government of India's Project Cheetah, 12 African Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) were brought from South Africa to India on 18 February 2023. These included 7 males and 5 females. They were transported from Johannesburg, South Africa, via Gwalior to Kuno National Park, located in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. This translocation was part of the Intercontinental Wildlife Translocation Programme aimed at restoring the cheetah population in India.
Reason (R) is also true. Restoring the cheetah population in India is an important wildlife conservation priority. A major objective of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the governments of India and South Africa in January 2023 was to establish a Viable and Secure Population of cheetahs in India. This included restoring their Ecological Role in their historical natural habitats, promoting Biodiversity Conservation, and improving livelihood opportunities for local communities. The 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa specifically to implement this conservation priority.
The cheetah was officially declared Extinct in India in 1952. The major historical causes included Overhunting, Habitat Loss, and the decline in available wild prey populations. To reintroduce cheetahs, the first group of 8 cheetahs, comprising 5 females and 3 males, was brought from Namibia to Kuno National Park on 17 September 2022. Subsequently, the 12 cheetahs brought from South Africa in February 2023 contributed to increasing the founder population of the reintroduction programme.
Project Cheetah aims not only to increase cheetah numbers but also to develop suitable habitats and ecological conditions for their long-term conservation in India. The cheetah is a Carnivorous Predator that forms part of ecological relationships with prey species. The programme emphasizes the conservation of Grasslands and Open Natural Ecosystems, prey availability, habitat management, and the participation of local communities. Thus, India's priority of restoring the cheetah population was the direct reason for the decision to bring cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.