2 Cheetahs Died Due To Infection Caused By Insects During Monsoon: Forest Minister On Deaths In Kuno

A ninth cheetah has died in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park since March. Bhupender Yadav, the Forest Minister, blames the monsoon, claiming 'deaths due to monsoon infection.'

On Wednesday morning, another cheetah was found dead in Kuno National Park, bringing the death toll of cheetahs in the park to nine. (Representational Image)

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Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav responded on Saturday to the alarming issue of cheetah deaths in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP), attributing them to infections caused by insects during the monsoon season. "The government remains committed to the cheetah project and has sought advice from international experts," he is heard saying in a video posted by news agency PTI.

On Wednesday morning, another cheetah was found dead in Kuno National Park, bringing the death toll of cheetahs in the park to nine.

A forest official, requesting anonymity, mentioned that the female cheetah, which was translocated from Namibia, likely died due to "septicaemia caused by skin abrasion," according to a report by Hindustan Times. A post-mortem examination will be conducted to confirm the cause of death, it said. 

Two female cheetahs, Dhatri and Nirva, lived in the wild, while the other 14 cheetahs, including a cub, lived in the enclosure, it said. 

"All 14 cheetahs (07 males, 06 females, and 01 female cub) kept in bomas at KNP are healthy, and their health is being regularly monitored by the team comprised of Kuno wildlife veterinarians and experts from Namibia," MP Chief Wildlife Warden Aseem Shrivastava told Hindustan Times.

Following the deaths of two cheetahs, Tejas and Suraj, due to infections, and three cheetahs found infected near the radio collar due to skin abrasions, officials had been attempting to capture the cheetahs for clinical tests, according to the report. 

Another cheetah, Nirva, was reportedly lost due to a radio collar malfunction, and efforts were underway to locate her using elephants.

The deaths of African cheetahs Tejas and Suraj due to alleged septicaemia raised concerns about cheetah monitoring in KNP. Following a steering committee meeting on the cheetahs' deaths in Delhi in July, wildlife chief warden Jasbir Singh Chauhan was transferred last month.

The Union Environment Ministry refuted any lapses and denied scientific evidence supporting the deaths due to infection from radio collars in a statement given to the Rajya Sabha last month, attributing the cheetah deaths to natural causes.

The Supreme Court expressed its concern about cheetah deaths in May and urged the Centre to consider expanding their habitat to other states. With the recent death of the female cheetah, a total of nine cheetahs have died in KNP in the last four months, including three cubs born in India.