Two more cheetah cubs die at Kuno National Park, third this week

After the death of the first cub on Tuesday due to “immense weakness”, monitoring teams of wildlife doctors had swung into action, trying to ensure the survival of the remaining cubs, and Jwala was being given supplemental food during the day. Forest officials had said that mortality rates were high among cheetah cubs.

However, the monitoring teams grew worried when they saw signs that the health condition of the remaining three cubs were not normal with temperatures hitting 46-47 degrees Celsius at the national park.

Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) J S Chauhan said that the teams then “immediately decided to rescue the three cubs and do necessary treatment”.

“The condition of two cubs was extremely bad, and despite all efforts for treatment, they could not be saved. The remaining cub is in Palpur hospital under intensive treatment and monitoring,” Chauhan said.

Forest officials have been in constant touch with Namibian and South African cheetah experts and doctors to ensure the survival of the remaining cub, which is currently in “stable” condition, but undergoing intensive treatment.

Forest officials said that all “the cheetah cubs were found to be weak, underweight and highly dehydrated”.

“The cheetah cubs were about eight weeks old. At this stage, cheetah cubs are generally inquisitive and constantly walk with the mother. The cubs started walking only about 8-10 days ago. According to cheetah experts, the survival rate of cheetah cubs in Africa is generally very low. The post-mortem proceedings are being done as per the standard protocol,” Chauhan said.

On May 9, a female cheetah, Daksha, brought from South Africa, died following a “violent interaction” with two male cheetahs, possibly during mating.

Daksha’s death came close on the heels of the death of another cheetah, Uday, which had fallen ill in April. On March 27, a Namibian cheetah named Sasha had died of kidney complications. Sasha was believed to have contracted the ailment during its captivity in Namibia and had been unwell since arriving at Kuno.

Of the 20 cheetahs brought to India from Africa in the world’s first intercontinental translocation project, 17 now remain.

Eight Namibian cheetahs were brought and released in Kuno in September last year. Another batch of 12 South African cheetahs were brought by the Indian government on February 18 this year.

The cheetahs from the two African nations have been brought to India under the ambitious inter-continental translocation programme to revive their population in the country seven decades after they became extinct.

The country’s last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952.