The Facts
India on Wednesday announced the birth of four cheetah cubs to one of eight cheetahs brought to the country from Namibia in September 2022 under 'Project Cheetah,' an effort to reintroduce the animal after they were declared extinct in India in 1952.
India's Environment Minister shared a photo and video of the cubs on Twitter, calling the development a "momentous event in India's wildlife conservation history."
The Spin
Narrative A
After decades of being extinct in India, cheetahs have finally come home as part of a well-coordinated relocation effort to restore their presence on the subcontinent. There is so much optimism about the future of the cheetah population in India, as the animals look set to once again flourish in the nation.
Narrative B
Relocating cheetahs to India is a mistake for conservation, as the country does not have the habitat or prey to sustainably support the endangered species. While there is a history of cheetahs having thrived in India, the subspecies translocated to India differ from the Asiatic cheetah that originally roamed. Many risks come with relocation efforts and, in this case, the pros do not outweigh the cons.