Another Cheetah Dies at Kuno National Park, 10th Within a Year

Bhopal: India’s ambitious Project Cheetah suffered another blow with the death of Shaurya, a male cheetah brought from Namibia in September 2022. This brings the total number of cheetah fatalities in the park to ten – seven adults and three cubs – since March 2023.

According to the project’s director, the exact cause of Shaurya’s death remains uncertain and will only be determined after a post-mortem examination. The incident unfolded when the tracking team observed incoordination and a staggering gait around 11 am. The animal was tranquillized, revealing weakness upon examination. Despite revival attempts, complications arose post-revival, and the cheetah failed to respond to CPR.

Project Cheetah, a government initiative, aims to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild in India, where they went extinct nearly seven decades ago. A total of 20 cheetahs were relocated from Namibia and South Africa in two batches – the first in September 2022 and the second in February 2023.

The recent string of cheetah deaths raises concerns, with various factors cited by experts. Intra-species fights, diseases, injuries during hunting, attacks by other animals, and heatstroke are among the potential reasons. Controversy surrounds the use of radio collars, with experts suggesting that these tracking devices may have caused skin infections, leading to maggot infestations and septicaemia. In response, an effort was made to remove the radio collars.

The mortality toll began in March 2023, with deaths including a female cheetah named Dhatri in August 2023, and a Namibian cheetah Sasha in March due to kidney complications. Subsequent casualties include Uday in April, Daksha in May following a “violent interaction” during mating, and three cubs born in July. Two male cheetahs, Tajas and Suraj, also succumbed in July due to multiple organ failure.

Project Cheetah now faces scrutiny, prompting experts to evaluate and address the various factors contributing to the untimely deaths of these endangered animals.