Namibian Cheetah Shaurya dies at MP’s Kuno National Park, 10th death so far

Shaurya, a cheetah translocated from Namibia, died at the Kuno National Park on Tuesday, according to a report by news agency ANI. So far, seven adult cheetahs and three cubs have died at the national park.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Director Lion Project said late in the morning the tracking team observed “incoordination and staggering gait” in the animal following which Shaurya was tranquilized. Post revival the tracking team noticed complications. The Namibian Cheetah failed to respond to CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and died around 3.17 pm.

The cause of death can be ascertained only after 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,” APCCF & Director Lion Project said.

Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952 and the animals were brought to the park again in 2022.

The cheetahs were imported in two batches – from Namibia in 2022 and South Africa in 2023. The initiative began on September 17 last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a group of cheetahs brought from Namibia into an enclosure in Kuno.

Four cubs were born in the park since then, but three of them and six other adults died in a span of five months ending last August.

The 10th death was reported today.

The multiple deaths issue even reached the Supreme Court last year, which said there was no reason to question the central government on the moves being made to reintroduce cheetahs in India.

Project Cheetah head SP Yadav had told the media another batch of cheetahs will be imported from South Africa for their introduction at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary soon.