Madhya Pradesh: 10th cheetah dies at Kuno National Park

A Namibian cheetah, named Shaurya, died at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday (January 16), state Forest Minister Nagar Singh Chouhan said.

It is the 10th cheetah that has died at the park since the re-introduction of the species in India in 2002.

The cause of the feline's death was not immediately clear and it will be known only after post-mortem examination, said a forest department statement.

Shaurya was found not walking properly by the tracking team around 11 am after which the wild animal was tranquilised and efforts were made to revive the feline, but they failed, said the statement.

Complications arose post-revival and the wild animal failed to respond to CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and died at 3.17 pm, it said.

The deaths, totalling seven adults and three cubs, have been attributed to various infections.

Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952, and the reintroduction initiative has faced challenges, with multiple deaths reported.

The government had claimed infections caused by insects during the monsoon season as a factor in the previous deaths.

Despite these challenges, Project Cheetah head SP Yadav mentioned plans to import another batch of cheetahs from South Africa for introduction into the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.