Cheetahs Developing Thick Coats In Anticipation Of African Winter Proving To Be Fatal In Indian Climate: Experts

In a report to the government, the experts suggested measures such as shaving off the winter coats to prevent fatal infections leading to more deaths.

New Delhi: The natural process of cheetahs to develop a thick fur coat in anticipation of African winter is proving to be fatal in India’s hot and humid climate, news agency PTI quoted experts as saying. This comes in the wake of the death of nine big cats at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park since the launch of ‘Project Cheetah’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year.

In a report to the government, the experts suggested measures such as shaving off the winter coats to prevent fatal infections leading to more deaths. According to the PTI report, the experts said that the thick fur coats, high parasite load and moisture often lead to dermatitis, with fly strike on top aggravating the infection and affecting the skin's integrity.

"Some of these cheetahs who do not have long hair are not facing such issues. So, it's natural selection. The fittest of them and their offsprings will survive and thrive in the Indian conditions," a government official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The official further acknowledged that even the African experts did not anticipate such a situation.

Speaking about the cheetah deaths, the official said the situation is not alarming yet and that such translocations have faced challenges in the past as well.

"There will be challenges but we expect the cheetahs to learn and adapt. That will be the true reintroduction of the species in India," the official told PTI.

According to the report, although the experts suggested measures such as shaving off the fur coats, there are other concerns about the potential risk of administering medicine, involving darting, capturing and returning the big cats to the enclosures.

Earlier last month, after the death of the eighth cheetah, Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Vijay Shah said fighting over food or mating is a common cause of deaths among big cats.

"I have received the information but a postmortem is being done. I will be able to say anything about the causes only after that. This is common among wild animals. We don't include the cubs in this but the remaining (deaths) were due to fights over food or mating. This is common among wild animals," the Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister told news agency ANI.