In a first, cheetah dies after ‘clash with leopard’ at Kuno

It was one of the four sub-adult cubs born to the Namibian cheetah named Jwala

Written by Anand Mohan J

September 16, 2025 01:03 PM IST

3 min read

According to a press note issued by the field director of Kuno National Park, authorities found the cheetah dead in the forest at around 6.30 pm Monday. (File photo)

A female cheetah was found dead in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, with officials suspecting that it was killed in a fight with a leopard — a first since cheetahs were brought to Kuno from Africa in 2022.

According to a press note issued by the field director of Kuno National Park, authorities found the cheetah dead in the forest at around 6.30 pm Monday.

It was one of the four sub-adult cubs born to the Namibian cheetah named Jwala.

An official statement said, “She had separated from her mother over a month ago and from her siblings a few days earlier. Preliminary assessment points to a territorial clash with a leopard as the cause of death. A post-mortem examination will confirm details.”

The young cheetah was among Jwala’s litter released into the wild along with their mother on February 21, this year. Its death comes just as conservationists prepared to mark three years since the first cheetahs were reintroduced at Kuno National Park after seven decades.

Kuno’s overall cheetah population remains stable, officials said.

“Kuno now has 25 cheetahs — nine adults (six females and three males) and 16 India-born individuals. All are healthy and doing well,” the project’s field director, Uttam Sharma, said.

Kuno has a high population of leopards, estimated at 70-80, which is a concern for the safety of the cheetah population. The high leopard numbers reduce the available prey, mainly chital, for the cheetahs, creating pressure on the park’s ecosystem.

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This was something that had been taken into account by wildlife officials when the Kuno action plan was drafted. Said a senior wildlife official, “Leopards and tigers also co-exist in Madhya Pradesh, and we expect the cheetah to adapt to these challenges. We had anticipated territorial fights between cheetahs and leopards. These clashes are natural in the wild, and the cheetahs have to learn to survive on their own and develop the skills that will be imparted to their cubs.”

According to the Union Environment Ministry’s latest estimate, Madhya Pradesh houses the largest population of leopards in the country, with 3,907 in the wild.

Panna Tiger Reserve and Kuno National Park exhibit “some of the highest leopard densities in India”, the report said.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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