9 African cheetahs dead at Kuno National Park in 11 months

Death of yet another African cheetah at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, was reported by PTI on August 2, taking the death toll to nine, in approximately the 11 months.

According to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), Aseem Shrivastava, the cause of the death is not known and the body has been sent for post-mortem.

The lifeless body of a female cheetah, Dhatri (Tbilisi), was discovered at the national park today, making it the ninth cheetah death since the reintroduction of 20 adult cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa last year.

Among the dead cheetahs so far, six were adults and three cubs. The cubs were all born in India.

Series of deaths

• These deaths add to the list of previous ones, including Suraj who was found dead on July 14, Sasha, who succumbed to kidney disease in March 2023, Uday, who suffered from cardio-pulmonary failure in April, and Daksha, a female cheetah killed during a mating attempt with a male.
• In May 2023, a young cheetah cub from Siyaya's litter, only two months old, died. Initially, it was suspected that the cub succumbed to frailty. Shortly after the first cub's death, two more cheetah cubs from Siyaya's litter met the same fate within the same month.

The deaths raise concerns about the viability and long-term success of the ambitious reintroduction program initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2022.

ALSO READ: Yet another cheetah is dead at Kuno National Park, eighth in 5 months

Project Cheetah under the scanner

• The Cheetah Conservation Project, termed Project Cheetah and aimed at reviving the cheetah population in India, has faced severe scrutiny after the increasing number of cheetah deaths.
• Experts explain that cub mortality is relatively high among cheetahs, but the continuous losses raise doubts about the project's handling and efficacy.

• The Supreme Court's involvement in the matter added further weight to the gravity of the situation.
• On July 20, the court expressed its concern over the death of eight cheetahs in the Kuno National Park within a year, urging the government to consider alternative strategies, including the potential relocation of cheetahs to other sanctuaries.

Authorities are actively investigating the causes behind these tragic deaths, seeking to determine the factors contributing to the cheetahs' vulnerability in the park.