10-year-old Namibian cheetah dies in Kuno National Park while being treated

A Namibian cheetah died in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park on Monday while undergoing treatment, PTI quoted the Cheetah Project field director as saying.

Ten-year-old Gaurav was among the first batch of eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia in September 2022. He was released into the free-ranging area of Kuno on March 22, 2023.

Of the eight cheetahs in the first batch, six have since died, while two – Asha and Jwala – remain at Kuno.

On September 12, Gaurav was rescued from the wild after he was observed to be weak and dull, reported PTI.

“Immediate systemic and supportive treatment was provided, following which he was shifted to Palpur and kept in a quarantine boma for close observation and further management,” the field director was quoted as saying.

He added that based on preliminary examination, it was suspected that Gaurav had an underlying chronic condition.

The cheetah died around 4 pm on Monday, said the field director, adding that the exact cause of death will be ascertained after post-mortem examination.

This was the 24th death of a cheetah in India since the animals were reintroduced in the country.

There are now a total of 55 cheetahs in India, of whom 51 are in the Kuno National Park and four are in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

Of the cheetahs in the Kuno National...

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