India: 10th cheetah from Namibia dies in Kuno National Park, sparks concerns on reintroduction project

In a concerning development, another cheetah named Shaurya has died in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, marking the 10th fatality since the cheetah reintroduction project commenced in 2022.

The Namibian cheetah's deathon Tuesday(Jan16), adds to the alarming count of seven adults and three cubs lost at the national park, primarily due to various infections.

Shaurya's demise occurred around 3:17 pm, and the cause of death will be determined after post-mortem examination, according to an official statement by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Director of the Lion Project.

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The tracking team noticed incoordination and a staggering gait around 11 am, prompting the cheetah's tranquilisation. Although initially revived, complications arose post-revival, leading to a failed response to CPR.

Previous cheetah deaths and causes

The last recorded cheetah death in Kuno National Park was reported on August 2, 2023. Infections caused by insects during the monsoon season were cited by the government as the primary cause for the previous two deaths.

The fatalities have raised concerns and even reached the Supreme Court, which, in the previous year, expressed no reason to question the central government's cheetah reintroduction efforts.

Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952. The ambitious reintroduction project began in 2022, bringing 20 adult cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa in two batches.

Also watch |India: Last 2 Kuno cheetahs die of infection caused by insects in monsoon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the project on September 17, 2023, releasing a group of cheetahs into an enclosure in Kuno National Park. Despite the birth of four cubs in the park, the high mortality rate, with three cubs and six adults dyingwithin five months until August 2023, raised significant concerns over Project Cheetah.

The Supreme Court, addressing the issue of multiple cheetah deaths, affirmed that there was no basis to question the central government's reintroduction efforts.

Despite the setbacks, Project Cheetah's head, SP Yadav, shared plans to import another batch of cheetahs from South Africa for introduction in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.

(With inputs from agencies)