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Relevance: GS-III (Environment & Ecology) | Source: The Indian Express
The Context: Following the tragic death of a cheetah named KNG22 outside Kuno National Park, authorities suspended six forest officials. In response, park officials explained a hard technical truth: satellite collars do not work like a live Google Map and come with major tracking limitations.
1. How Wildlife Telemetry Works (And Its Limits)
- Satellite vs. VHF Radio: Collars give broad satellite coordinates across large areas, while Very High Frequency (VHF) radio antennas help ground teams home in on the animal locally.
- Not a Live Feed: A collar only logs a location at a single moment in time. By the time the data transmits and forest guards physically arrive, the cheetah has usually moved several kilometres away.
- The 6-Hour Ping Trade-Off: Costing ₹4–5 lakh each, collars are programmed to ping every 6 hours to save battery life. If signals are blocked by tree canopies or rocky terrain, blind spots stretch to 12 or 18 hours.
2. Why Tracking Cheetahs on the Ground is Hard
- High Mobility: Cheetahs cover 12 to 15 kilometres a day, mostly during early mornings and evenings. By the time a rescue team reaches a coordinate, the animal is long gone.
- Rough Terrain: Wild animals move in straight lines across streams and ridges, whereas patrol vehicles must drive long, winding forest routes.
Practice MCQ
Q. Consider the following statements regarding wildlife telemetry and Project Cheetah in India:
- Satellite collars used in wildlife tracking provide a continuous, real-time live video broadcast of an animal’s exact movements across the forest.
- The African cheetah is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and receives strict legal protection under Schedule I of India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b) 2 only
Hint: Statement 1 is incorrect because satellite collars record static coordinates at set time intervals (e.g., every 6 hours), not a continuous live broadcast. Statement 2 is correct; African cheetahs are IUCN Vulnerable and listed under Schedule I of the WLPA, 1972.
Hint: Statement 1 is incorrect because satellite collars record static coordinates at set time intervals (e.g., every 6 hours), not a continuous live broadcast. Statement 2 is correct; African cheetahs are IUCN Vulnerable and listed under Schedule I of the WLPA, 1972.
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