Project Cheetah in Peril: Yet Another Cheetah Found Dead at Kuno National Park

Bhopal: A female cheetah named ‘Dhatri’ was discovered dead in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, raising further concerns about the ambitious Project Cheetah. The project aims to reintroduce cheetahs to India after nearly seven decades of extinction, but the recent mortality rate is troubling.

Since the introduction of 20 cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia, nine of them have tragically died, including three cubs born in India. Experts attribute the deaths to various factors, such as intra-species fights, diseases, accidents, and hunting injuries. Predatory attacks by other animals and heatstroke have also been considered potential causes.

Controversy surrounds the use of radio collars on cheetahs, which are used for tracking and monitoring. Some experts argue that these collars caused skin infections during the monsoon season, attracting flies and leading to fatal maggot infestations and septicaemia.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) maintain that the deaths were due to natural causes and not alarming. They rule out unnatural reasons like poaching, snaring, poisoning, road hits, or electrocution.

In response to the fatalities, measures have been taken to protect the remaining cheetahs. Critical medical examinations have been conducted, prophylactic treatment administered, and international experts consulted for further capacity building in cheetah management.

Despite these efforts, the high mortality rate raises serious concerns about the viability of Project Cheetah and the future of these majestic creatures in India.