MADHYA PRADESH: Another cheetah has perished within the confines of Kuno National Park, situated in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.
This recent death brings the tally of feline casualties to seven. A high-ranking official at the park said that the cheetah, a male named Tejas, succumbed to what is believed to be the result of intraspecific conflict. Tejas was spotted by park officials bearing conspicuous injuries, signalling a distressing end to his life, according to the BBC.
In 1952, cheetahs were declared extinct in India; however, they were reintroduced just last year as part of an ambitious endeavour aimed at revitalizing the species’ population.
In September 2022, a total of eight cheetahs were translocated from Namibia to India, followed by the arrival of an additional 12 cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.
Out of this group, three cheetahs met their untimely demise within the past two months. Furthermore, the three cubs born to a Namibian cheetah at Kuno in March sadly perished in May.
During that period, park authorities revealed that the cubs showed frailty, undernourishment, and severe dehydration. As for the adult cheetahs, their demise stemmed from various causes, including renal failure and injuries sustained during mating.
The reintroduction of cheetahs into the country was launched with great fanfare by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Wildlife experts celebrated this initiative, although some voiced concerns over potential risks posed by other predators and the availability of sufficient prey.
In May, the Supreme Court expressed apprehension regarding the string of animal fatalities and urged the federal government to contemplate relocating the cheetahs to an alternate habitat.
In India, cheetahs possess significant symbolic value, as they are featured prominently in numerous folklore tales. Regrettably, these magnificent creatures represent the sole large mammal to have vanished since the nation’s independence in 1947, owing to rampant hunting, habitat loss, and scarcity of prey.
