Another Cheetah dies at Kuno, bringing up the tally to 9 dead in 5 months

A statement issued by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department on Wednesday stated that another cheetah has died at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. "A female cheetah, Dhatri (Tiblisi), was found dead this morning. To determine the cause of the death, a post-mortem is being conducted," said the statement. This is the 9th big cat to have died over a period of five months. Experts from South Africa and Namibia have written to the Supreme Court flagging their areas of serious concern pertaining to India’s National Cheetah project.

 
The letter issued by the experts committee states that some cheetah deaths could have been prevented by better monitoring of the animals and had more appropriate and timely veterinary care been administered. The letter explicitly states that the experts committee had been kept in the dark, and their opinions ignored. They had to beg for information pertaining to the welfare of the felines.

 
The statement issued by the Kuno National Park said that it houses a total of 14 cheetahs, six females, seven males and 1 female cub in the enclosures. They are looked and cared for by Namibian experts. Two female cheetahs were out in the forest, out of which one was found dead this morning by the park authorities. The park authorities have assured that the cheetahs are closely being monitored, and measures are being taken for their welfare and sustenance.

 
In September 2022, Kuno had reintroduced 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to the conservatory. The reintroduction project was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The death of 9 cheetahs since then, significantly dampens the spirit of the reintroduction project.

Reports reveal that the first death of a female cheetah was reported on March 27, she died due to kidney failure. Soon after, another one died of cardio-pulmonary failure. The third cheetah succumbed to her injuries after a violent interaction with another big cat. Back in July this year, two male cheetahs died in the span of a couple of days. The first body was found on July 11, and the second, on July 14. Autopsy reports revealed that one of the cheetah’s died owing to a traumatic shock. The two other cheetahs died of extreme weather conditions.

 
While the park authorities and the government deny any errors in judgment, the experts suggest that better care and treatment could have prevented these deaths.