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Snap judgement

Snap judgement : On India’s Project Cheetah

Every birth or death shouldn’t be seen as success or failure of Project Cheetah

It is almost three months since South Africa sent a batch of 12 cheetahs to India and two have already died. Taken along with the death of one of the eight cheetahs from Namibia — it had a pre-existing renal infection — and it emerges that about 15% of the animals have not made it past the first phase of India’s ambitious Project Cheetah. The aim is to establish a sustainable population of about 35 cheetahs in the next decade by bringing in a few every year from Africa. Thus, it is implicit that there will be many deaths among the animals if one factors in both the natural lifespan of the cat as well as the challenges of adapting to Indian conditions. Daksha, one of the female cheetahs, died from injuries following a violent mating attempt by two males — again not entirely unexpected from what is known about the predator’s behaviour.

 Ordinarily, the success of wildlife breeding programmes must be measured over longer intervals. The increase in the lion population in Gir, Gujarat, as well as tiger numbers have been the result of sustained efforts over decades, that have also seen the wildcat count dip to precipitous levels. Therefore, it is yet premature to weigh in on the success of the cheetah translocation programme. However, the arrival of the cheetahs in India was far from an ordinary event. For one, it capped decades of government planning undertaken since 2009, hearings in the Supreme Court, protracted negotiations with two countries, the complex logistics of choosing and ferrying the animals, the Prime Minister’s personal involvement in the enterprise, as well as the significant publicity effort by government departments to promote the endeavour as India’s exemplary commitment to wildlife conservation. It is thus only natural that three deaths in three months raise consternation on whether the conservation approach adopted by experts is based on sound principles. There is criticism that Kuno National Park is inadequate to host 20 cheetahs and that some ought to be in other sanctuaries. The existing batch of animals lived far too long in captivity (in preparation for the translocation) and thus were excessively stressed and more vulnerable, the argument goes. Project Cheetah managers however underline that the investments such as in making the landscape adequately stocked with prey, consultations with experts in Namibia and South Africa with actual experience in managing cheetahs, and cultural traditions that minimise poaching and incentivise local communities to be protective of wildcats, are the right ones to help the species flourish. Given that the relocation programme has been conceived as an ‘experiment’, it is important that every death and every birth are not seen as markers of failure or success. However, there also ought to be clearly defined criteria with timelines that project managers must adhere to, to decide if course correction is warranted

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Commitment
(noun) – A pledge or undertaking. प्रतिबद्धता

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Sustained
(adjective) – continuous, ongoing, steady, continual, continuing

निरंतर

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Following (preposition) – after 

के बाद

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Ought to (modal verb) – should, must

करना चाहिए

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Captivity
(noun) –imprisonment, confinement, internment, incarceration

कैद

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Vulnerable
(adjective) – weak, susceptible, helpless, defenseless 

कमजोर

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Given
(preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind

देखते हुए

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Hearing (noun) – Trial, Inquiry, Enquiry, Investigation, Examination, Consideration

   सुनवाई

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Decade
(noun) – A period of 10 years

दशक

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Protracted
(adjective) – lengthy, prolonged, extended, long

लंबा

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Incentivise
(verb) – boost, encourage, stimulate, promote

प्रोत्साहित करना

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Far
from (phrase) – away from, different from, not nearly,

से बहुत दूर

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Criticism
(noun) – censure, condemnation, critique, disapproval,

आलोचना

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Translocation
(noun) – the movement of something from one place to another.

स्थान परिवर्तन

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Landscape
(noun) – geography, view, scene, countryside

परिदृश्य

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Underline
(verb) – emphasize, stress on, highlight, accentuate, accent, call attention to

ज़ोर देना

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Promote
(verb) – encourage, advance, support, foster, boost

बढ़ावा देना

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Adhere
(to) (verb) – abide by, stick to, hold to, comply with, stand by

पालन ​​करना

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Dip
(noun) –  Fall, decline, drop, slump, downturn, plunge

गिरावट

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Implicit
(adjective) –  suggested but not communicated directly

अव्यक्त, अंतर्निहित

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Stressed (adjective) – Worried, strained, tensed, anxious

तनावग्रस्त

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Adequately
(adverb) – to a satisfactory or acceptable extent

पर्याप्त रूप से

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Entirely
(adverb) – absolutely, completely, totally

पूरी तरह से

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Argument
(noun) – the reason(s) that you give to support your opinion about something

तर्क, दलील, युक्ति

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Negotiation
(noun) – discussion, dialogue, talks, mediation

बातचीत

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Prey
(noun) – quarry, target, victim

शिकार

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Ambitious
(adjective) – Aspiring, determined, driven, motivated, zealous,

महत्वाकांक्षी

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Endeavour
(noun) – Effort, attempt, try, initiative, enterprise

प्रयास

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Existing
(adjective) – Current, present, prevailing, extant, ongoing.

मौजूदा

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Dip
(verb) – Decrease, decline, drop, fall

गिरावट

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Undertake
(verb) – Start, commence, embark on, carry out, take on

शुरू करना/ बीड़ा उठाना

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Cap
(verb) – to put a limit on

रोक लगाना

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Course
correction (noun) – Adjustment, realignment, modification,

नियति संशोधन

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Warrant
(verb) – require, demand, mandate

ज़रूरी बनाना

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Host (verb) – to provide the space and other things necessary for a special event:  

जगह देना, ठहराना

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Snap
(adjective) – Sudden, impulsive, spontaneous, instant, quick

आकस्मिक/ अचानक

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Pre-existing
(adjective) – Prior, existing before, already present, earlier, antecedent

पहले से मौजूद

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Emerge
(verb) – Arise, come out, surface, appear, become apparent

प्रकट होना

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Make
it past (phrase) – Overcome, surpass, get through, get past, clear
बच निकलना, पार कर जाना

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Lifespan
(noun) – Life expectancy, duration of life, lifetime, existence, life

आयु

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Adapt
(to) (verb) – Adjust, acclimate, conform, get used to, accommodate

अनुकूल बनाना

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Mating
(noun) – Breeding, reproduction, copulation, procreation, conjugation

समागम

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Predator
(noun) – Hunter, carnivore, meat-eater, raptor, beast of prey

शिकारी

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Ordinarily
(adverb) – Usually, generally, typically, commonly, normally

सामान्यतः

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measure
(verb) – Gauge, calculate, compute, determine, assess

माप करना

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Interval
(noun) – Gap, period, pause, interlude, break

अंतराल

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Precipitous
(adjective) – Steep, abrupt, sharp, sudden, hasty

तीव्र

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Premature
(adjective) – Early, untimely, ahead of time, precipitate, hasty

असामयिक

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Weigh
in (phrasal verb) – to give an opinion

राय देना

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Logistics
(noun) – Coordination, organization, management, arrangement, administration

आयोजन

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Ferry
(verb) – Transport, convey, carry, shuttle, haul

परिवहन करना, ढोना

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Exemplary
(adjective) – Ideal, perfect, model, commendable, praiseworthy

आदर्श

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Consternation
(noun) – Dismay, distress, disquiet, alarm, surprise

चिंता

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Sanctuary
(noun) – Refuge, Haven, Reserve, Preserve, Conservation area

सुरक्षित क्षेत्र

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Stock
(with) (verb) – Supply, Provide, Furnish, Equip, Fill

पूर्ति करना

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Poaching
(noun) – Illegal hunting, Unlawful hunting, Poach, Illegal fishing, Illicit hunting

अवैध शिकार

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Flourish
(verb) – Thrive, Prosper, Bloom, Grow, Develop

पनपना

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Conceive
(verb) – Imagine, Envisage, Visualize, Think up, Formulate

विचार करना

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Marker
(noun) – Indicator, Sign, Signal, Symbol, Benchmark

सूचक

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Timeline
(noun) – Schedule, Plan, Timetable, Itinerary, Chronology

समयरेखा