In a tragic turn of events, the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has witnessed a total of nine cheetah deaths since March, dealing a significant setback to the Centre’s cheetah reintroduction program. The latest casualty was a female cheetah named Dhatri (Tiblisi), whose lifeless body was discovered this morning. Authorities at the park have initiated a post-mortem to determine the cause of her death.
The situation is particularly alarming considering that the park had seen the successful reintroduction of 20 adult cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa in September the previous year. Since then, four cubs had been born, but tragically, three of them have already perished due to extreme weather conditions and dehydration.
Among the adult cheetahs, two male cheetahs had recently died in July. Tejas succumbed to a “traumatic shock” after a violent fight with a female cheetah, while Suraj’s body was found just four days later. Earlier, in March, female cheetah Sasha had passed away due to a kidney ailment, and in April, male cheetah Uday lost his life to cardio-pulmonary failure. Additionally, a female cheetah named Daksha had succumbed to her injuries in May after a violent interaction with a male during a mating attempt.
Currently, 14 cheetahs, consisting of seven males, six females, and a female cub, are kept in enclosures called bomas within the Kuno National Park. The park’s wildlife veterinarians and a Namibian expert are diligently monitoring their health to prevent further fatalities.
The unfortunate demise of these magnificent big cats has raised concerns about the safety and viability of the cheetah reintroduction program. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had inaugurated this initiative, making the recent developments all the more disheartening.
As authorities continue to investigate the cause of the cheetah deaths, wildlife conservationists and experts are advocating for increased measures to protect and preserve these endangered animals. The loss of nine cheetahs in just five months demands urgent attention and immediate action to safeguard the remaining cheetahs in the park and support the revival of the species.
