On September 17, 2022, eight cheetahs that were brought from Namibia were released into Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. Since then, several news reports about this release have gone viral on social media. According to one of these reports, the Modi administration will provide 400 deer from Rajasthan as prey for the cheetahs that arrived from Namibia.
This news report has been shared by Sukhram Bishnoi, Minister of State in the Government of Rajasthan, AAP’s election in-charge Rajasthan and Delhi’s Dwarka MLA Vinay Mishra, Congress MLAs Vijaypal Mirdha and Mahendra Bishnoi from Rajasthan among many others.
Fact Check
The news report had such an impact that the Bishnoi society protested in Rajasthan and Haryana against the alleged decision. This topic has grown delicate since it is being linked with societal sentiments rather than just the environment. Therefore, we conducted research to look into the whole matter.
The incident was being linked to Madhya Pradesh, so for our investigation, first we tried to find out the reaction of the Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh government. During our research, we came across a statement by the official Twitter handle from the Forest Department refuting the alleged decision. The statement said that there are a large number of cheetals in the Kuno National Park. There is no need to bring cheetals from other places or states.
The Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Jasbir Singh Chauhan has said that there are a large number of cheetals in the forests of Madhya Pradesh. At present, there are 30 thousand cheetals in Kanha National Park, 50 thousand in Pench, 30 thousand in Bandhavgarh and 10 thousand in Satpura National Park. The number of cheetahs is less in Sanjay National Park and Nauradehi Sanctuary.
Furthermore, it is said that the approval of the Indian government and the respective states is required for the transfer of wildlife across states. Since there are enough cheetals in Madhya Pradesh, there is no need to import them from other states. Since 2015, the state has engaged in active wildlife management, which involves moving animals from one sanctuary or national park to another. By doing this, the biological pressure of wildlife on the ecosystem is lessened.
The Chief Conservator of Forest, Jasbir Chauhan informed that Bishnoi society made a commendable contribution to the good management and conservation of wildlife in the state. Awards are given for contribution in the field of wildlife conservation in the name of Amrita Devi of Bishnoi society.
Apart from this, BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi also shared the press statement issued by the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Jasbir Singh Chauhan on social media and said that no deer or chital were sent. I request everyone to beware of false news being spread in this matter.
It is evident from the analysis that the claim made by the political party leaders, that the Modi government will send 400 deer from Rajasthan for the cheetahs is completely wrong and baseless.
| Claim | Modi government will send 400 deer from Rajasthan for cheetahs from Namibia |
| Claimed by | Minister of State for Rajasthan Sukhram Bishnoi, AAP’s election in-charge of Rajasthan, Vinay Mishra, MLA from Dwarka in Delhi, Vijaypal Mirdha and Mahendra Bishnoi, Congress MLAs from Rajasthan. |
| Fact Check | The claim is false. There are already a large number of cheetals in the Kuno National Park and for interstate wildlife transfer, the consent of the Government of India and the respective states is required. |
The goal of the Only Fact Team is to provide authentic news facts and debunk misinformation to safeguard its readers from being misled.
Dear Readers, We are working to debunk fake news which is against India. We don’t have any corporate funding like others. Your small support will help us grow further. Please Support.
Jai Hind!
