Fluid build-up in organs, clotting in heart, shows Kuno Cheetah’s autopsy report; experts question ‘generic’ findings on drowning cause

Meanwhile, samples from the cheetah’s internal organs have been sent to forensic labs to check for toxins or underlying infections, said a source familiar with the matter — thus not ruling out poisoning and ailments as the primary cause behind the drowning of an animal on whom a lot of the hopes of Project Cheetah were pinned.

Authorities in Madhya Pradesh and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which is leading Project Cheetah, have not made the autopsy findings public. Pawan, translocated to Kuno National Park from Namibia, was found in a stream stuck in a bush without any movement on August 27, as per the state forest department. Even after a month after its death, however, authorities have not cleared the air over whether the drowning was caused by other factors.

The veterinarian said that discharge or oozing of fluids from external orifices can happen in many cases and even in most natural deaths. “This does not tell us that the primary cause of death was drowning. It could be the eventual cause,” said the veterinarian, requesting anonymity. He said certain drugs, particularly opioids or barbiturates, can depress respiration and result in pulmonary oedema (fluid build-up in lungs), leading to similar findings.

NVK Ashraf, chief veterinary officer of the Wildlife Trust of India, said that since wild cats are good swimmers, getting to the root cause of the predisposing factors behind drowning was key. “One cannot pinpoint the cause of death only on the basis of these observations. They are broad observations. Significance of observations such as blood clotting can only be put into perspective after detailed examination,” he said.

Project Cheetah began in September 2022 with the intercontinental translocation of eight African cheetahs to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Twelve cheetahs were translocated in the second batch. As of now, 24 cheetahs, 12 adults and 12 cubs survive and 13 have died due to various reasons. Pawan had birthed two litters this January after mating with Asha and Jwala.