How Scientists Plan To Bring Back Indian Cheetahs With Gene Technology | Explained
The scientists at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow will use gene editing to modify the DNA of the African cheetah, giving it traits of the Indian cheetah
India, which had declared cheetah extinct in 1962 due to over-hunting and habitat loss, is planning to revive the species after successfully bringing back dire wolves using ancient DNA.
The Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow is working with the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) to ‘revive’ the Indian cheetah.
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At present, India has only those cheetahs, which were brought from Namibia and South Africa during 2022 and 2023. Of the 20 that were shifted to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, eight have died so far, along with five cubs born here.
How India Plans To Revive Cheetahs?
Scientists from US-based Colossal Biosciences recently revealed they had brought the dire wolf back from extinction after over 10,000 years. They announced the birth of three dire wolf pups — Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi. The two males are six months old, while the female is two months old.
BSIP has also outlined plans to conduct gene editing of the extinct predator with the aim of introducing it into the womb of an African cheetah, using surrogacy, as per a report by The Times of India. The whole genome sequencing (WGS) project for the Indian cheetah is nearing its end.
Niraj Rai, a senior scientist at BSIP leading the research, told The Times of India: “We have samples of all extinct Indian cheetahs and are in the final phase of its whole genome sequencing (WGS) that will offer a comprehensive analysis of the cheetah’s entire DNA, enabling the identification of genetic variations that may have led to disease or increased disease risk, eventually leading to its extinction."
This scientific project aims to revive cheetahs that closely match the original Indian species. It will also help researchers understand the animal’s history and the factors that led to its disappearance.
Earlier studies had already isolated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from both Indian and African cheetahs, allowing researchers to compare and study their genetic differences.
History Of Cheetah’s Extinction In India
Cheetahs were once widely found across India. Cave paintings dating back to the Neolithic age in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh make it evident that cheetahs were once found across the country, particularly in central India, where they roamed semi-desert areas, scrub jungles, and grasslands.
Throughout history, cheetahs had a special place in the hearts of kings and nobles. The first cheetah to be bred in captivity anywhere in the world was in India, during the time of Mughal emperor Jahangir in the 16th century.
His father, Akbar, wrote that there were 10,000 cheetahs during his reign, including 1,000 in his court. The charm of the cheetah extended beyond the hunt, as they were tamed and domesticated. They were known as loyal companions to their royal masters.
The fortune of Cheetahs nosedived during the colonial rule. The British viewed cheetahs as a threat to their livestock and game species and placed bounties on their heads. The administration actively hunted cheetahs and gave rewards to people who captured or killed them.
In the 19th century, the population of cheetahs experienced a steep decline. The population went down from around 10,000 to just a few hundred. The British colonial administration’s practice of rewarding people for killing cheetahs between 1870 and 1925 was a major contributor. On average, 1.2 cheetahs were killed each year. By the middle of the 20th century, cheetahs were on the verge of extinction, as per the Outlook report.
Unfortunately, the cheetah population met a tragic end in 1947 when Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya, Surguja, in Chhattisgarh, hunted and shot the last three known Asiatic cheetahs in the country. With the death of the last cheetah, the once-thriving population was reduced to zero.
The Indian government officially declared the species extinct in 1952. No legal consequences were taken for the one responsible for their extinction.
“The environment is very unfit for the survival of cheetahs in today’s time. Not only did India kill the native cheetahs, but now they are also bringing cheetahs from other countries but are unable to protect them. Disturbing animals and displacing them from their natural habitat cannot bring back the cheetah population. If we couldn’t save our native cheetahs, then at least we must not try to make cheetahs from other countries on the verge of extinction," Nagarjun, who works at the Wildlife and Rescue Centre, told Outlook.
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