Another Namibian Cheetah Dies At Kuno National Park, 10th Death In A Year

Namibian Cheetah Shaurya died today at around 3:17 PM, with the cause of death pending determination through a post-mortem examination, as stated by the Director of the Lion Project.

Image used for representational purposes only.

Source : Getty Images

Another cheetah died on Tuesday afternoon in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, the tenth since their reintroduction in India in 2022. According to an official statement, the Namibian cheetah was named Shaurya, and the cause of death will be determined after a post-mortem.

"Today, on 16th January, 2024 around 3:17 PM, Namibian Cheetah Shaurya passed away. Around 11 AM in the morning, incoordination and staggering gait was observed by the tracking team following which the animal was tranquilized and weakness was found. Following this, the animal was revived but complications arose post revival and the animal failed to respond to CPR. Cause of death can be ascertained after Post Mortem," the statement said. 

Today, on 16th January, 2024 around 3:17 PM, Namibian Cheetah Shaurya passed away...Cause of death can be ascertained after Post Mortem: Director Lion Project pic.twitter.com/ISc2AlCNcy

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2024

On January 3, a Namibian cheetah, named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave birth to three cubs in Kuno National Park. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav shared the news online, terming it a 'roaring success' for the conservation project. India had imported several felines from Namibia and South Africa as part of the Cheetah Reintroduction Project in 2022.

"Purrs in the wild! Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha," tweeted Environment Minister Yadav.

Visuals circulating online showed the cubs meowing and pawing at the grass, earning the label "adorable" from numerous netizens.

The last cheetah in India died in 1947 in the Korea district (present-day Chhattisgarh), and the species was declared extinct in the country in 1952.

The first group of eight Namibian cheetahs, released into Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-September 2022, was followed by the translocation of about two dozen cheetahs from South Africa in the subsequent months. The inherent risks of mortality in intercontinental long-distance cheetah translocations manifested, with eight out of the initial 20 cats succumbing since their relocation.

India witnessed its first cheetah birth in 75 years last March when one of the translocated big cats from Namibia gave birth to four cubs. Only one of them survived and continues to exhibit a normal growth pattern.