BHOPAL: In a second blow to the country’s ongoing Cheetah re-introduction project, the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh has reported the second death of an African cheetah in less than a month.
The second casualty of the big cat happened at around 4 pm on Sunday, as an adult South African cheetah (one of the three Waterberg Biosphere adult males) died within a few hours of sudden health deterioration.
The casualty happened three days after the 12 SA cheetahs flown to KNP on February 18 were shifted from the quarantine bomas into the big acclimatization enclosures.
The concerned male Cheetah had recently got the Indian name Uday. According to a senior MP forest department official, the concerned male South African cheetah was visibly healthy till Saturday. A team of forensic experts from Jabalpur and Bhopal would be at the KNP in Sheopur district on Monday to perform the dead cheetah’s autopsy.
"During the inspection in the morning, a cheetah brought from South Africa was found dull with head down following which veterinarians attending him alerted senior officials and the feline was taken out from the large enclosure for treatment. Unfortunately, around 4 pm, the cheetah passed away," principal chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife, J S Chauhan told PTI.
Late last month, a female Cheetah, named Sasha, died due to renal infection.
Eight Namibian Cheetahs were released in the park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday last year.
(With inputs from PTI)