University of Pretoria vets lead revival of India’s extinct cheetah

Abstract

University of Pretoria (UP) academics are playing a lead role in driving the reintroduction of wild cheetahs into India as part of efforts to ensure the survival of the species. With the global cheetah population in decline, the Project Cheetah initiative is part of a long-term plan to increase the numbers of free-ranging (wild) cheetahs. Despite significant efforts thus far, the global authority on the status of the natural world, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, estimates that there are fewer than 7 000 wild cheetahs in the world.