Female cheetah found dead at Kuno National Park
In a major setback for India's cheetah reintroduction program, a female African cheetah was found dead at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, NDTV reported. A post-mortem is being conducted to determine the cause of the death. With this, the number of cheetah deaths at the national park has climbed to nine since March this year.
Female cheetah Dhatri (Tiblisi) found dead on Wednesday
While confirming the death, officials said, "A female cheetah, Dhatri (Tiblisi), was found dead this morning. To determine the cause of the death, a post-mortem is being conducted." At least 14 cheetahs—seven males, six females, and a female cub—that are kept in enclosures in the national park are healthy and are being monitored by Kuno wildlife veterinarians and a Namibian expert, it added.
Recent deaths of cheetahs at Kuno National Park
Cheetah deaths in India started on March 27, after a female big cat named Sasha died from a kidney ailment. On April 23, a male cheetah named Uday passed away from cardio-pulmonary failure, and a female cheetah named Daksha lost her life on May 9 following a violent encounter. Reportedly, two more cheetah cubs succumbed to "dehydration" and "extreme weather conditions" on May 25.
Setback to India's Project Cheetah
The back-to-back fatalities are reportedly seen as a major setback for the Centre's cheetah reintroduction program under Project Cheetah. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September of last year. Last month, two male cheetahs died in four days, with Tejas dying on July 11 and Suraj's body being found on July 14, according to the Hindustan Times.
Foreign experts question management of project
The Indian Express reported that the prestigious cheetah conservation program has plunged into a crisis, leading to the "avoidable" deaths of big cats recently. Notably, African experts have flagged "serious" lapses in the project's management in a letter to the Supreme Court. They are members of the national cheetah project steering committee, under which 20 cheetahs have been translocated to India.
A little about Project Cheetah
As part of the cheetah reintroduction program initiated in September last year by PM Modi, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia to India and released at Kuno National Park. Twelve more cheetahs were flown over from South Africa in February this year, out of which six live in various enclosures at the national park and the rest live in the wild.
