India, Nov. 14 -- The killing of a 19-month-old cheetah cub in Kuno National Park in late October revived questions about Project Cheetah. The project highlights an unresolved question about wildlife restoration: What exactly should be restored when wildlife disappears? The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, conserves existing wildlife but provides little guidance on rebuilding lost ecological systems. The project seeks not only to conserve a species, but also to restore ecological functions lost when the Asiatic cheetah disappeared from India.

The 1972 Act provides a statutory basis for active conservation measures. Section 12 recognises scientific management, including translocation to suitable habitats. Project Cheetah goes beyond conv...