Greenwashing the cheetah project: Contextualizing the nationalist rhetoric and laundered image of a 'resurrected' cat in Modi's India

Might sound nice at first, on the surface.

You might describe it as: "An Indian state is celebrating as a beloved nearly-extinct unique subspecies of lion, the Asiatic/Persian/Indian lion, a charming charismatic creature, has been brought back from the brink. India, with the power of science, is saving nature! It's apolitical!"

Not so fast.

This nearly-extinct Asiatic lion situation brings to mind the nearly-extinct Asiatic cheetah reintroduction situation a few years ago.

Weaponizing the image of naturalist and the "stewardship" of "nature" for nationalist pride and power.

This is a HELL of a time to be using words like "Gujarat's pride."

Hmm.

Wait a minute, what's that?

:(

That's an interesting headline about lions from March 2025.

Any other interesting headlines from March 2025?

(Literally just the top of the page when you search 'modi gujarat' in March 2025.)

For context:

Busy month for Modi!

What else has he got going on in March 2025?

So what's up?

Let's consider lions first.

Until about a century ago, lions lived across much of Asia, from the Mediterranean to India. (A unique subspecies of lion, Panthera leo persica.)

Now, on the continent, they only live in one place: Gujarat state.

So administrators in Gujarat are essentially stewards of the last lions in Asia.

And a few years ago, the Indian nation-state sought to make itself the stewards of (some) of the last cheetahs in Asia, too.

Like the lion, the cheetah also used to range from basically the Mediterranean to Bengal. And like the lion, the cheetah also has a critically-endangered unique subspecies still surviving in Asia: Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, variously called the Asiatic or Persian cheetah.

Only 25 or less Asiatic cheetahs survive.

And they only live within the borders of Iran.

But back in 2021 and 2022, the Indian Prime Minister had a little project.

Hmm.

Sounds good? "Extinct cheetah brought back!"

First: On his own birthday, he did this.

Second: They're not actually Asiatic cheetahs. They're a different subspecies. African cheetahs. And they weren't from the Sahara or North Africa either. They were from southern Africa. Quite a ways away and a different ecological world from South Asia. And ecologists did note this frustration.

But what was the PM's interest?

Like:

"Modi named one of the felines 'Asha' which means hope [...]."

"They are the world's fastest land animals, and that's the pace at which Project Cheetah, launched under Modi's leadership is working."

"India is now the only place to be home to lions, tigers, cheetahs, and leopards."

Modi's just a little birthday boy!

Gujarat's pride!

Oh, also, update from one of my friends who responded to this post: