Newborn Cheetah Cubs Found Dead at Kuno National Park
Neerva had recently given birth to the cubs
Bhopal
Chances of the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department ending the year on an optimistic note diminished on Wednesday after wildlife officials and veterinarians found the carcasses of two newborn cheetah cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP).
The two cubs were born to Neerva, an African cheetah translocated to the park. Forest staff and veterinarians discovered the mutilated carcasses after receiving signals indicating that Neerva was away from her den.
The cause of death is being investigated. The surviving cheetahs, including 12 cubs, are reported to be healthy.
In September 2022, eight Namibian cheetahs – five females and three males – were released into enclosures at KNP, seven decades after they became extinct in India due to hunting and habitat loss. In February 2023, a dozen more cheetahs were translocated to the national park from South Africa as part of the Centre’s project to reintroduce the big cats to the country.
The unfortunate news of the cheetah deaths comes at a time when state wildlife officials are still reeling from the aftershocks of the tragic death of 10 wild elephants at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) between October 29 and November 1.
