Latest news with #Cites
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
S'pore app using AI to combat illegal wildlife trade acquired by US start-up
The app was born from a collaboration between NParks, Microsoft Singapore and non-profit group Conservation International. PHOTO: ST FILE S'pore app using AI to combat illegal wildlife trade acquired by US start-up SINGAPORE - A mobile application launched in Singapore in 2022 to combat illegal w ildlife trade has been acquired by a US-based biodiversity technology firm. The app, called Fin Finder, is the first-of-its-kind in Asia which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help border enforcement officers identify illegally traded shark and ray fins. Users are able to upload a photo of a fin on the app and its algorithm will analyse its shapes and patterns to identify the species of origin. Born from a collaboration between Singapore's National Park Board (NParks), Microsoft Singapore and non-profit group Conservation International, the app was acquired by Washington-based Conservation X Labs in April 2025. Since its launch, the app has been adopted by law enforcement agencies in 32 countries, and has an accuracy level of 89.4 per cent, NParks said in response to The Straits Times' queries. Over the years, it has also been regularly updated with the appendix status of each species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), which outlines its level of protection under international trade laws, the agency added. While Conservation X Labs will manage the app, moving forward, NParks said that it remains an implementing partner and user. Dr Anna Wong, NParks' senior director of wildlife trade, said: 'Using technology like Fin Finder can strengthen enforcement against the illegal trade of shark and ray species, and enhance Singapore's capabilities in conserving biodiversity.' She added that the app' s creation has highlighted the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors in fighting illegal wildlife trade. In an April 2025 statement to app users, Conservation X Labs, which helped to build Fin Finder's machine learning models, said that the acquisition may enable further development in its image analysis technology, and the expansion of the app's reach. A free, rapid identification tool Fin Finder's biggest strengths, said its founders, is that it is a free-to-use, rapid identification tool. In the shark's fin trade, fins are often imported in containers with mixed shipments, said Dr Andrew Rhyne, a professor of marine biology at the Roger Williams University and one of the app's founders. As a result, a percentage of the shipment are often fins of Cites-protected species, which are nestled among those that are not. Dr Rhyne said: 'High-quality, rapid identification tools that are inexpensive and accurate would be very useful for customs and border agents.' Fin Finder is part of a two-step process, he explained, where enforcement officers first use the app to identify species that have been illegally traded before confirming this through DNA testing. This is crucial given the sheer volume and diversity of wildlife products that pass through country borders, said Dr Michael Tlusty, a professor of sustainability and food solutions at the University of Massachusetts Boston and another of the app's founders. Citing a recently published paper which found that nearly 30,000 species of animals were imported into America over two decades, he said: 'Nobody's going to know 30,000 species, so these automated tools make the job of customs agents much easier.' The app's usage over the past years has also resulted in over 4,000 photos of shark fins, which Dr Rhyne said is valuable information that can help its developers fortify its AI model. Scaling up for global use Looking ahead, Fin Finder's founders said possibilities for the app are limitless. Mr Eric Fegraus, a former senior director of technology at Conservation International who led efforts to develop the app, said: 'It could scale to other species – certainly, more sharks – and be implemented in other areas in the world where it's needed.' Dr Tlusty, likewise, believes that the app's technology can be modified to identify other animal derivative products. He said: 'As we build more identification algorithms, such as edge detection and spot recognition, we can even start combining them.' Ultimately, Mr Fegraus said it is about developing flexible technology that can be used to enforce the regulations of the day. While he acknowledges that ideological debates on whether mankind should even fish for animals, like sharks, remain necessary, he said having the tools to aid in enforcement are equally important. 'Particularly around wildlife, we've got to, at the minimum, enforce the rules, and then eventually, we have to change the rules,' he said. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Daily Maverick
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
How the world's top trophy hunters are killing off leopards
A new report documents unabated hunting despite leopard numbers plummeting across Africa. At night, in the African bush, a zebra carcass dangles from a tree, rigged as bait. Nearby, a hunter waits in a hide, rifle trained, night-vision goggles focused. When the leopard arrives — silent, cautious, regal — it climbs for its meal. A crack splits the night. The cat falls, dead before it hits the ground. Later, its skull will be dried, measured and entered into a record book. The hunter will go home triumphant, the leopard's skin later draped across his study wall. Meanwhile, in the wild, the species edges closer to extinction. This scenario is from a new report commissioned by the Wildlife & Conservation Foundation, The Leopard Hunters, which uncovers the scale and players behind the global leopard trophy hunting industry. It points to a disturbing nexus of wealth, status and political influence driving the killing of one of Africa's most iconic predators. According to the report, more than 700 leopard trophies were exported from Africa in 2023, despite the species being listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) — a designation reserved for species at risk of extinction, where trade is meant to be highly restricted. Of those trophies, half went to the US, making American hunters the largest importers by far. Most of the rest were shot by hunters from Europe. Leading the pack was Steve Chancellor, a US billionaire and close political ally of President Donald Trump. Chancellor, the world record holder for the largest leopard ever shot, is reported to have killed around 500 animals for trophies, including 50 lions and five cougars, some reportedly shot with a handgun. His California home — where he once hosted Trump fundraisers — is described as a private museum of taxidermy. 'Chancellor was part of a White House advisory committee set up to weaken protections for threatened species,' notes the report, highlighting his influence on policies that made it easier to import trophies of endangered animals into the US. He's far from alone. The report names a Who's Who of high-profile hunters whose names fill the pages of the Safari Club International (SCI) Record Book – a status symbol in the world of big-game hunting. Spanish hunter Tony Sanchez-Arino, a friend of former King Juan Carlos, has killed 167 leopards. Zimbabwean hunter Ron Thomson boasts of killing 30. The late Donald Holt, a renowned taxidermist, once held the world record for the third-largest leopard. There are currently a total of 2,071 leopards in the SCI Record Book. Big money This is not just about individual egos. The report describes an industry propped up by safari companies, international hunting fairs and online marketplaces like where leopard hunts sell for up to $156,000. Some packages bundle leopard hunts with lions, elephants, crocodiles — even cheetahs. 'The trophies include bodies, bones, skins, skulls and leather products,' states the report. 'Trophies are measured, scored and logged in record books. The bigger the animal, the greater the prestige.' Yet beneath the glamour lies a brutal reality. Accounts collected in the report describe questionable hunting methods: baiting leopards with live or freshly killed animals; wounding cats and chasing them for days; setting fires to flush out hiding animals. 'Dragging a squealing, gutted duiker across the ground to a tree where it was wired up (still alive) to attract a leopard to shoot after dark … diesel used to pour into warthog holes where a wounded leopard had run and then set on fire,' one account reads. In one case, 'over 200 rounds of gunfire shot into a palm island where they thought a male lion was holed up, but ended up shooting his pride and eight cubs. Later, setting the palm alight to 'smoke the sucker out'.' Numbers plummeting The ethical concerns are compounded by the conservation crisis. Population estimates are uncertain (leopards are nocturnal, secretive and hard to count), but it's widely believed that numbers have fallen from around 700,000 in the 1960s to roughly 50,000 today — a decline of more than 90%. While habitat loss and conflict with humans are factors, many studies have identified trophy hunting as a key driver of the decline. Leopards were classed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as recently as 2008. They have since jumped two levels to Vulnerable. Despite this, Botswana has just submitted to Cites a plan to reinstate leopard hunting. Ironically, hunters often claim they are conservationists. Safari Club International (SCI) and affiliated groups argue that trophy fees fund wildlife management and anti-poaching efforts. But conservation scientists are sceptical. 'The evidence shows that trophy hunting is having negative impacts across sub-Saharan Africa,' the US Congress concluded in a survey cited in the report. 'Unsustainably high rates of trophy hunting have caused population declines in African lions and possibly African leopards.' Zambia banned leopard trophy hunting in 2013. In South Africa, the Department of the Environment imposed moratoriums on hunting following legal challenges from NGOs. It has not published the finalised leopard hunting quotas for 2025. Even when governments respond, the industry fights back. The report describes how Conservation Force, a legal group founded by former SCI president John J Jackson III, sues governments to reverse trophy import bans. In New Jersey, for instance, Conservation Force won a court case overturning a law prohibiting the import of trophies of the Big Five. Meanwhile, the biological consequences go beyond mere numbers. By selectively targeting the largest, strongest animals, trophy hunting triggers 'artificial selection' that weakens the gene pool, says the report. Removing dominant males reduces genetic fitness and disrupts social structures, undermining the species' ability to adapt to environmental changes like climate shifts. And yet the race for trophies continues. Awards like SCI's African Big Five, Cats of the World, Predators of the World and Dangerous Game incentivise hunters to kill specific species. To qualify for the Hunting Achievement Award (Diamond), a hunter must kill at least 125 animals from different species. Leopards are a critical rung on this ladder. SCI publishes guides which tell trophy hunters where to go to shoot 'huge leopards and excellent maned lions'. Leopards can also be shot with handguns, crossbows, bows and arrows and with old-fashioned muzzleloaders to win the Multiple Methods Award. 'It's not about meat or survival,' argue wildlife campaigners in the report. 'It's about prestige, status and the thrill of the kill.' Other ways But alternatives exist. The report closes with the voice of Boniface Mpario, a Maasai elder and veteran wildlife guide in Kenya, who recalls building trust with a wild leopard he named Mrembo — Swahili for Beautiful. 'Each year, photographers came back to see her and her cubs,' he says. 'One leopard brought so many visitors, so much income for the community. Not from hunting, but from watching.' Mrembo has since raised multiple litters. Her daughters now have cubs of their own, continuing a family line that draws tourists — and tourist dollars — to the Maasai Mara. Unlike the bloodied records of the hunters, Mrembo's legacy is one of life. The Wildlife & Conservation Foundation, which commissioned the report, is calling for an immediate global moratorium on leopard trophy hunting. 'If elephants were native to the United States, and endangered or threatened, they would not be hunted,' said Dan Ashe, former director of the US Fish & Wildlife Service. 'And neither would lions, rhinos, or leopards.' For now, the leopard remains in the crosshairs — its future caught between the crack of a rifle and the click of a camera. DM
New Paper
27-05-2025
- New Paper
42 cases of animal smuggling at Singapore borders in 2024, highest in recent years
Indian star tortoises, live corals and an Asian arowana were among 42 cases of animal smuggling caught at Singapore's borders in 2024, the highest number of smuggling attempts in recent years. Thirty-five smuggling cases were thwarted in 2023 and 34 in 2022. And between January and April 2025, eight cases were detected at the borders. More than 240 animals were also seized from over 30 premises in Singapore in the last two years, said the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement on May 27. These cases involved people who peddled exotic animals for sale through social media platforms such as Telegram. These updates on the illegal trade were provided amid the Cites Global Youth Summit on May 27, held at Sentosa. Convened under the auspices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), the inaugural five-day summit drew more than 70 young people from around 50 countries. It serves to equip fledgling leaders with the skills and networks needed to tackle the illegal wildlife trade in their respective countries. Due to its location, Singapore has been known to be a transit country for the illegal wildlife trade, including animal parts such as pangolin scales and rhino horns. This illicit trade here is also rife in the virtual world, particularly on social media, as the market for illegal wildlife and animal parts in Singapore has generally gone underground in the last decade. In one of the larger cases of 2024, a man from India was jailed for attempting to smuggle 58 Indian star tortoises into Indonesia via Changi Airport. The animals were hidden in a luggage with no ventilation. One tortoise was found dead, and 22 others were assessed to be thin. Under the multilateral treaty Cites, the Indian Star Tortoise is listed as a species that faces a high risk of extinction if its trade is not severely restricted, and its commercial trading is generally prohibited. Other cases in 2024 included the smuggling of kittens, puppies, live birds, an Asian arowana and live corals. In February 2024, a man was jailed for eight weeks for the illegal keeping of 69 exotic animals at a farm at Neo Tiew, including the African spurred tortoises and the Argentinian black and white tegus, a large lizard. Increased demand for exotic pets and the use of technologies to detect smuggling attempts are some of the key reasons contributing to the slight increase in smuggling cases in 2024, said Ms Xie Renhui, director of wildlife trade at NParks. "There are various reasons as to why the demand for exotic wildlife as pets is on the rise here. One reason could be novelty, because we have a small list of approved pets to be kept home in Singapore. Other cases involved exotic wildlife or animals being (planned for) transit through Singapore," she said. Exotic animals peddled online in Singapore include sugar gliders (a species of possum), tarantulas, hedgehogs and leopard geckos. Individuals also attempt to smuggle in approved pets like dogs and cats because they want to evade biosecurity checks and proper permits, Ms Xie added. The authorities have also been reaching out to local e-commerce platforms to alert them if the sale of exotic animals are spotted online. "It's a continuous effort to create the awareness as well as educate the general public of not fuelling illegal wildlife trade or buying commodities that are of unknown origin," added Ms Xie. The efforts of ICA officers, who are trained to detect suspicious travellers and vehicles, coupled with the use of technology, have also contributed to the detection of more animal smuggling cases at the land checkpoints, said NParks and ICA. The officers use mobile X-ray scanning machines to identify hidden modified compartments in cargo lorries, cars, and motorcycles. In May 2024, officers found seven puppies and one kitten concealed in a modified car boot compartment of a Malaysia-registered car. Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan, who spoke at the summit on May 27, highlighted the locally created mobile app Fin Finder, which identifies the fins of sharks and rays, including Cites-listed species, within seconds. Mr Tan also said NParks' Centre for Wildlife Forensics has been using DNA and molecular studies to trace the origins of pangolin scales and ivory figurines, for example. "This supports enforcement work and prosecution, and provides insights on potential trade routes of trafficked wildlife products," he added. The summit was organised by the Cites Global Youth Network, founded by Singaporean youths. Its participants include scientists, rangers, lawyers, conservationists, and advocates. Mr Keith Ng, a member of the youth network, said: "The smugglers and the traffickers are super organised folks and they are all driven by profit, and so they will find any means to get their goods across. "That's why we also must be similarly well-organised and be willing to collaborate from a young age. That way, we can be one step ahead of them. If not, we're never going to win this."
The Star
27-05-2025
- The Star
Singapore records 42 cases of animal smuggling in 2024, highest in recent years
SINGAPORE: Indian star tortoises, live corals and an Asian arowana were among 42 cases of animal smuggling caught at Singapore's borders in 2024, the highest number of smuggling attempts in recent years. Thirty-five smuggling cases were thwarted in 2023 and 34 in 2022. And between January and April 2025, eight cases were detected at the borders. More than 240 animals were also seized from over 30 premises in Singapore in the last two years, said the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement on May 27. These cases involved people who peddled exotic animals for sale through social media platforms such as Telegram. These updates on the illegal trade were provided amid the Cites Global Youth Summit on May 27, held at Sentosa. Convened under the auspices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), the inaugural five-day summit drew more than 70 young people from around 50 countries. It serves to equip fledgling leaders with the skills and networks needed to tackle the illegal wildlife trade in their respective countries. Due to its location, Singapore has been known to be a transit country for the illegal wildlife trade, including animal parts such as pangolin scales and rhino horns. This illicit trade here is also rife in the virtual world, particularly on social media, as the market for illegal wildlife and animal parts in Singapore has generally gone underground in the last decade. In one of the larger cases of 2024, a man from India was jailed for attempting to smuggle 58 Indian star tortoises into Indonesia via Changi Airport. The animals were hidden in a luggage with no ventilation. One tortoise was found dead, and 22 others were assessed to be thin. Under the multilateral treaty Cites, the Indian Star Tortoise is listed as a species that faces a high risk of extinction if its trade is not severely restricted, and its commercial trading is generally prohibited. Other cases in 2024 included the smuggling of kittens, puppies, live birds, an Asian arowana and live corals. In February 2024, a man was jailed for eight weeks for the illegal keeping of 69 exotic animals at a farm at Neo Tiew, including the African spurred tortoises and the Argentinian black and white tegus, a large lizard. Increased demand for exotic pets and the use of technologies to detect smuggling attempts are some of the key reasons contributing to the slight increase in smuggling cases in 2024, said Xie Renhui, director of wildlife trade at NParks. 'There are various reasons as to why the demand for exotic wildlife as pets is on the rise here. One reason could be novelty, because we have a small list of approved pets to be kept home in Singapore. Other cases involved exotic wildlife or animals being (planned for) transit through Singapore,' she said. Exotic animals peddled online in Singapore include sugar gliders (a species of possum), tarantulas, hedgehogs and leopard geckos. Individuals also attempt to smuggle in approved pets like dogs and cats because they want to evade biosecurity checks and proper permits, Xie added. The authorities have also been reaching out to local e-commerce platforms to alert them if the sale of exotic animals are spotted online. 'It's a continuous effort to create the awareness as well as educate the general public of not fuelling illegal wildlife trade or buying commodities that are of unknown origin,' added Xie. The efforts of ICA officers, who are trained to detect suspicious travellers and vehicles, coupled with the use of technology, have also contributed to the detection of more animal smuggling cases at the land checkpoints, said NParks and ICA. The officers use mobile X-ray scanning machines to identify hidden modified compartments in cargo lorries, cars, and motorcycles. In May 2024, officers found seven puppies and one kitten concealed in a modified car boot compartment of a Malaysia-registered car. Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan, who spoke at the summit on May 27, highlighted the locally created mobile app Fin Finder, which identifies the fins of sharks and rays, including Cites-listed species, within seconds. Tan also said NParks' Centre for Wildlife Forensics has been using DNA and molecular studies to trace the origins of pangolin scales and ivory figurines, for example. 'This supports enforcement work and prosecution, and provides insights on potential trade routes of trafficked wildlife products,' he added. The summit was organised by the Cites Global Youth Network, founded by Singaporean youths. Its participants include scientists, rangers, lawyers, conservationists, and advocates. Keith Ng, a member of the youth network, said: 'The smugglers and the traffickers are super organised folks and they are all driven by profit, and so they will find any means to get their goods across. 'That's why we also must be similarly well-organised and be willing to collaborate from a young age. That way, we can be one step ahead of them. If not, we're never going to win this.' - The Straits Times/ANN
Daily Maverick
12-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Project Cheetah is an ill-advised wildlife relocation that seems doomed to failure
In an ill-advised attempt to establish a population of African cheetahs in India, Project Cheetah aimed to restore India's long-extinct cheetah population. To initiate this, 20 cheetahs from southern Africa were sent to Kuno National Park in India from 2022 to 2023. Reports suggest a further 20 cheetahs are to be sent from Kenya this year, as well as potentially more cheetahs from South Africa. Despite its portrayal as a conservation and restoration success story, Project Cheetah has experienced high mortality rates, with eight adults (40%) and five cubs (29.4%) dying due to kidney failure, fighting injuries, extreme heat and humidity and fly-strike-related skin infections. In a recent research paper, co-authored with researchers from Blood Lions, we addressed how Project Cheetah exemplifies broader issues related to rewilding and restoration projects. We argue that proponents and authorities issuing Cites permits need to be cognisant of the consequences of their decisions. Project Cheetah alone is estimated to cost between $50-million and $60-million, an amount that could arguably be used more effectively for in-situ conservation and social upliftment efforts. Concerns about Project Cheetah are not new — cheetah experts have been raising alarms since the project's inception, yet South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) approved the export permits for 12 cheetahs to leave South Africa, with the other eight originating from Namibia. Scientists opposed to the project agree that Project Cheetah lacks conservation and scientific merit, especially demonstrating shortfalls in the ecological criteria that guided decision-makers. Critics have also suggested underlying political motives, including an alleged request from Namibia for India to withdraw its ban on the ivory trade. Global conservation efforts have witnessed a necessary shift towards equity and justice in protecting biodiversity. So often, conservation efforts and biodiversity loss disproportionately affect marginalised communities and indigenous people. More recently, there's a significant movement to recognise that non-human species also suffer immense injustices, not only in the illegal trade but also in the legal trade. In the case of Project Cheetah, our research shows that cheetahs translocated to India for restoration purposes have had their welfare compromised, in addition to the unjust social implications for local and indigenous communities surrounding Kuno. Further challenges exist, including differences in climate, prey species and habitat that African cheetahs need to adapt to, and the potential human-wildlife conflict for communities not accustomed to the presence of cheetahs. Why is Project Cheetah problematic? Kuno is a biodiverse region of 784km2 in the central Indian Vindhya Hills. Initially, it was earmarked as the site for the reintroduction of Asiatic lions, which was due to start in 2008. To accommodate the Asiatic lion reintroductions, 5,000 people from 24 villages were displaced between 1999 and 2001. However, the project never went ahead as the Gujarat state government was reluctant to release lions to another state. With 669 Asiatic lions dying in the last five years, the species is now listed as 'largely depleted' in the latest IUCN Listing as of 27 March 2025. A report released in 2010 on the translocation of cheetahs into Kuno shows many shortcomings. Instead of recognising diverse values, understanding potential inequitable impacts, and focusing on historically burdened groups, the surveyors made subjective judgments about community members by looking at their age, sex, clothing condition, the use of jewellery and wristwatches, and transport. The goal behind this assessment was to determine which populations would be most likely to accept once-off compensation for relocating. What the report failed to acknowledge included important social dimensions like attitudes towards relocation, exotic species introduction, project acceptance and perceived risks and benefits. Instead, it focused on identifying economically and socially disadvantaged targets for monetary incentives, further exacerbating disenfranchisement and power imbalances. Unjust conservation efforts that explicitly exclude and remove people have led to conservation refugees who were forcibly removed from their homes. Neglecting the human dimensions of conservation Project partners have stated that the cheetah translocations to India were largely justified by the tolerance displayed by those of predominantly Hindu faith. It was implied that people of Hindu faith would tolerate any risk of human-wildlife conflict. But such broad generalisations need to be challenged: communities surrounding Kuno are of many faiths and may experience human-wildlife conflict, and even within Hindu communities, attributing tolerance exclusively to religion is simplistic. Such statements demonstrate severe neglect in accounting for the complex web of socio-ecological systems and the challenges of co-existing with wildlife. Relying on generalisations to justify translocations demonstrates little appreciation of the human dimension of conservation, often overlooking diverse knowledge systems and values, and the complex relationships people have with nature, how they perceive wildlife, and consent to bear the consequences of such conservation work. Unethical and unjustifiable threats to cheetahs As part of Project Cheetah, all cheetahs were initially released into nine bomas designed for 'soft release'. The bomas range in size from 0.5-1.5km2 (compared to the 4.3km2 in which cheetahs can roam daily in Kuno's range of 5,441km2). Some pregnant females have never left these bomas, whereas others have been moved from free-roaming in Kuno back to their bomas on a regular basis. Some have escaped Kuno and have been seen roaming neighbouring villages and towns. According to the most recent publicly available information, all surviving cheetahs have been returned to the bomas. Even more worrying, initial projections have suggested that establishing a viable population in India could take 30-40 years, necessitating that at least 12 cheetahs are imported annually to account for these unacceptable mortality rates. With the adult cheetah mortality at 40%, nearly half of all cheetahs imported for Project Cheetah are likely to die prematurely. Project Cheetah presents serious threats to cheetah welfare, including stress, trauma and adaptation failures, especially considering cheetahs are a stress-prone species. The cheetahs translocated to Kuno have not only undergone intercontinental transportation, but they are also regularly subjected to veterinarian interventions, with more than 90 medical immobilisations conducted so far. It's vital to consider how this can affect their long-term physical and mental welfare, in addition to being kept in captive conditions in bomas for long periods. As a result, the project has seen low survival rates of 60% in adult cheetahs, which is far below the average survival rate of 85% for reintroductions in South Africa's fenced private reserves. The survival rate for Kuno's newly introduced cheetahs is likely to fall even further when all the animals are released from the bomas and encounter other large and unfamiliar predators indigenous to India. On social media, anecdotal reports of cheetahs being stoned by villagers and being harassed during sedation reveal further risks faced by cheetahs struggling to adapt and thrive following their release, highlighting once again the complex interplay of welfare concerns, human-wildlife conflict, and conservation priorities marring Project Cheetah. More recently, cheetahs that appear to be in poor health have been seen hunting cattle in the villages while people attempt to scare them off by throwing stones at them. Senior wildlife biologist and conservation scientist Dr Ravi Chellam says that 'unlike leopards and tigers, these cheetahs, due to their long-term captivity and constant following, are very used to human presence. I expect such interactions to be more common in the future. 'Having said that, it is still very unusual for the cheetahs to attack a prey animal when surrounded by such a boisterous crowd of people. This seems to suggest that the cats are desperately hungry. It has, of course, been very clear right from the start that India does not have the required extent of habitat of suitable quality and the space for the cheetahs to range free in the wild.' How can translocations be improved? Wildlife relocation projects that fail to acknowledge environmental and social issues highlight an urgent need for conservationists to engage in scientifically grounded and locally accepted conservation strategies. Poorly planned community relocations disrupt social structures, similar to forced land reform, and may cause severed cultural connections to land and animals. Our beliefs and traditions intertwine with our experiences in nature, and forced removals can affect the mental health of local and indigenous communities who so closely identify with their culture and the surrounding land and animals. While we agree that community relocations may sometimes be necessary for medical, educational, law enforcement or conservation reasons, our research shows just how important it is to consider residents' preferences and needs to prevent unjust consequences. Given the age-old shaping of nature by local and indigenous communities, relocations may not even be desired where co-existence is preferred. It's vital to acknowledge people's profound connections to land and non-human species and to embrace diverse values of nature. The cheetah translocations to Kuno have shown serious ethical concerns by experimenting with an IUCN-listed 'vulnerable ' species and knowingly subjecting these animals to substantial stress, risks and mortality. We need to challenge and critically think about how we measure conservation successes to go beyond measuring ecological processes of births and deaths, but also to understand the impacts on an animal's physical and mental welfare. When 40-50% of the animals die in a relocation project, we need to reconsider what an ethically acceptable mortality rate should be. Can this really be considered a 'successful reintroduction'? If conservation practices prioritise respect, inclusivity and justice, we are more likely to see positive outcomes for people and nature. DM
