Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Snap judgement: On India’s Project Cheetah

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 (गुर्दे संबंधी) infection — and it emerges that about 15% of the animals have not made it past the first phase of India’s ambitious (महत्त्वाकांक्षी) Project Cheetah. The aim is to establish a sustainable (दीर्घकालिक, संवहनीय या टिकाऊ) population of about 35 cheetahs in the next decade (दशक) by bringing in a few every year from Africa. Thus, it is implicit (अंतर्निहित, अप्रत्यक्ष) 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 (a person who is cruelly exploiting other people. (an animal that hunts and kills other animals for food)) behaviour.

Ordinarily, the success of wildlife breeding (प्रजनन) 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 (निरंतर) efforts over decades, that have also seen the wildcat count dip (डुबोना, गिरावट) to precipitous (extremely high, steep) levels. Therefore, it is yet premature (untimely, early, too soon, too early, before time; ill-timed, ill-considered) to weigh in (to have influence (in a decision/discussion/plan/argument/activity); be important to, carry weight, make an impression on, make a strong contribution to) on the success of the cheetah translocation (स्थानान्तरण) programme. However, the arrival of the cheetahs in India was far from (से दूर) an ordinary event. For one (used for emphasizing your opinion), it capped (limit, restrict, curb) decades of government planning undertaken (शुरू करना, आरंभ करना) since 2009, hearings (सुनवाई) in the Supreme Court, protracted negotiations (बातचीत, वार्ता) with two countries, the complex logistics (the process of planning & executing a complex work (e.g. transporting people or god)) of choosing and ferrying (to transport something from one place to another (across an area of water such as river, sea and etc.)) the animals, the Prime Minister’s personal involvement in the enterprise (उद्यम, उपक्रम), as well as the significant publicity effort by government departments to promote the endeavour as India’s exemplary (illustrative, indicative, paradigmatic, characteristic) commitment to wildlife conservation (preservation, protection, safeguarding, sustentation, careful management (of the natural resources)). It is thus only natural that three deaths in three months raise consternation a sudden and unexpected feeling of worry/anxiety that causes confusion; dismay, disquiet, surprise, shock) on whether the conservation approach adopted by experts is based on sound (solid, well founded, valid, reasonable, logical) principles. There is criticism that Kuno National Park is inadequate to host 20 cheetahs and that some ought to (must, should) be in other sanctuaries (reserve, park, wildlife reserve). The existing batch of animals lived far too long in captivity (confinement, restraint, constraint) (in preparation for the translocation) and thus were excessively stressed and more vulnerable (defenceless, fragile, unprotected, ill-protected, unguarded; in jeopardy, at risk, endangered), the argument goes. Project Cheetah managers however underline (highlight, underscore, emphasize, stress, draw attention to, point up) that the investments such as in making the landscape (terrain, environment, a large area of land) adequately stocked with prey (an animal that is hunted or killed by another animal for food), consultations with experts in Namibia and South Africa with actual experience in managing cheetahs, and cultural traditions that minimise poaching (an act of catching/trapping/killing illegally) and incentivise (encourage, motivate, galvanize) local communities to be protective of wildcats, are the right ones to help the species (It simply means plants & animals; a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring) flourish (thrive, develop, prosper (successfully)). Given (considering, taking into account, bearing in mind) that the relocation programme has been conceived (think up, devise, formulate, frame, originate, develop) as an ‘experiment’, it is important that every death and every birth are not seen as markers (indicator, criterion) of failure or success. However, there also ought to be clearly defined criteria with timelines that project managers must adhere to (abide by, stick to, hold to, comply with, act in accordance with, conform to, follow, obey), to decide if course correction (modifying, improving, rectifying (the plan of action)) is warranted (necessitate, justify, validate, uphold, endorse, call for).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.renal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गुर्दे संबंधी
English Meaning - relating to the kidneys.

2.ambitious (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - महत्त्वाकांक्षी
English Meaning - formidable, difficult, challenging, demanding.

3.sustainable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दीर्घकालिक, संवहनीय या टिकाऊ
English Meaning - supportable, acceptable, trustworthy, reasonable, sensible, reliable, dependable, well-founded (without disturbing the balance of nature and then without exhausting all of the natural resources).

4.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

5.implicit (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर्निहित, अप्रत्यक्ष
English Meaning - implied, indirect, understood, tacit, unexpressed, unvoiced.

6.breeding (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रजनन
English Meaning - reproduction, mating & reproducing of animals.

7.sustained (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निरंतर
English Meaning - continuous, continual, constant, steady.

8.dip (verb)

Hindi Meaning - डुबोना, गिरावट
English Meaning - decrease, diminish, reduce, lessen; decline, drop, fall, plunge.

9.translocation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्थानान्तरण
English Meaning - the planned movement of plants or animals from one location to another.

10.far from (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - से दूर
English Meaning - not, not at all; nowhere near, a long way from.

11.undertake (verb)

Hindi Meaning - शुरू करना, आरंभ करना
English Meaning - begin, start, launch into, embark on, take forward, take up.

12.protracted (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लंबा, निरंतर
English Meaning - lengthy, extended, continuing, unending, unrelenting, long-drawn-out, prolonged, persisting, lingering.

13.hearing (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुनवाई
English Meaning - trial, court case, lawsuit, inquiry, litigation, judicial/legal proceedings, legal action.

14.negotiation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बातचीत, वार्ता
English Meaning - talks, discussion, discourse, debate, dialogue, deliberation, consultation.

15.enterprise (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उद्यम, उपक्रम
English Meaning - undertaking, endeavour, pursuit, activity.

16.snap (adjective)

English Meaning - done in a hurried manner; sudden.

17.judgement (noun)

English Meaning - understanding, perception, conclusion, decision.

18.Project Cheetah (noun)

English Meaning - the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project. Project Cheetah aims to bring back independent India’s only extinct large mammal - the cheetah. As part of the project, 50 cheetahs will be introduced in various National Parks over five years.

19.predator (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is cruelly exploiting other people. (an animal that hunts and kills other animals for food).

20.precipitous (adjective)

English Meaning - extremely high, steep.

21.premature (adjective)

English Meaning - untimely, early, too soon, too early, before time; ill-timed, ill-considered.

22.weigh in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to have influence (in a decision/discussion/plan/argument/activity); be important to, carry weight, make an impression on, make a strong contribution to.

23.for one (phrase)

English Meaning - used for emphasizing your opinion.

24.cap (verb)

English Meaning - limit, restrict, curb.

25.logistics (noun)

English Meaning - the process of planning & executing a complex work (e.g. transporting people or god).

26.ferry (verb)

English Meaning - to transport something from one place to another (across an area of water such as river, sea and etc.).

27.exemplary (adjective)

English Meaning - illustrative, indicative, paradigmatic, characteristic.

28.conservation (noun)

English Meaning - preservation, protection, safeguarding, sustentation, careful management (of the natural resources).

29.consternation (noun)

English Meaning - a sudden and unexpected feeling of worry/anxiety that causes confusion; dismay, disquiet, surprise, shock.

30.sound (noun)

English Meaning - solid, well founded, valid, reasonable, logical.

31.ought to (modal verb)

English Meaning - must, should.

32.sanctuary (noun)

English Meaning - reserve, park, wildlife reserve,

33.captivity (noun)

English Meaning - confinement, restraint, constraint.

34.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - defenceless, fragile, unprotected, ill-protected, unguarded; in jeopardy, at risk, endangered.

35.underline (verb)

English Meaning - highlight, underscore, emphasize, stress, draw attention to, point up.

36.landscape (noun)

English Meaning - terrain, environment, a large area of land.

37.prey (noun)

English Meaning - an animal that is hunted or killed by another animal for food.

38.poaching (noun)

English Meaning - an act of catching/trapping/killing illegally.

39.incentivise (verb)

English Meaning - encourage, motivate, galvanize.

40.species (noun)

English Meaning - It simply means plants & animals; a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring.

41.flourish (verb)

English Meaning - thrive, develop, prosper (successfully).

42.given (preposition)

English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

43.conceive (verb)

English Meaning - think up, devise, formulate, frame, originate, develop.

44.marker (noun)

English Meaning - indicator, criterion.

45.criterion (noun)

English Meaning - basis, standard, norm. (criteria is the plural form of criterion).

46.adhere to (verb)

English Meaning - abide by, stick to, hold to, comply with, act in accordance with, conform to, follow, obey.

47.course correction (noun)

English Meaning - modifying, improving, rectifying (the plan of action).

48.warrant (verb)

English Meaning - necessitate, justify, validate, uphold, endorse, call for.