Third cheetah dies at Kuno
Another cheetah has died at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The third death in three months seems to have put a question mark on the viability of the government’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme, though some experts contend that 50 per cent mortality in the wild is normal
A third cheetah has died in three months at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. An ambitious project of the government seems to be unravelling.
International cheetah expert Vincent van der Merve, however, had told India Today last week that 50 per cent mortality in cheetahs in the wild was normal.
The latest incident happened today morning. Daksha, a female brought from South Africa this year, was found with multiple injuries.
Though the exact cause is being investigated, a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, tweeted by the news agency ANI, said the wounds on Daksha “seem to have been caused by a violent interaction with the male, during the courtship/ mating attempt”. The cheetahs are being allowed to mingle as advised by national and international experts.
Sasha, a female cheetah brought from Namibia, died in March due to renal issues while a male from South Africa, Uday died in April due to cardiopulmonary failure.
Of the 20 cheetahs, 17 are now left— 10 from South Africa and seven from Namibia.
