27-month-old cheetah dies at MP's Kuno National Park

A 27-month-old Indian-born female cheetah died at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on Saturday while undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the wild, officials said.
The cheetah, officially identified as KGP11, was found injured near the Pahargarh area in Morena district on June 1. Following its rescue, the animal was shifted to a veterinary facility at Palpur within Kuno National Park, where it was being treated under the supervision of veterinary experts.Despite continuous medical care and efforts by veterinary and field staff, the cheetah succumbed to its injuries on Saturday evening.
"Despite all efforts by the veterinary and field teams, it succumbed to injuries this evening," Cheetah Project Field Director Uttam Sharma said in a statement.He said a post-mortem examination would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death.The death marks the 23rd cheetah fatality since the ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme was launched in India in 2022.According to officials, India is currently home to 52 cheetahs, including 49 at Kuno National Park and three at the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.Of the cheetahs at Kuno, 32 were born in India. Officials said 19 of these Indian-born cheetahs are currently roaming freely in the wild, while the remaining animals are being monitored and are reported to be healthy.

The cheetah reintroduction programme began in September 2022, when cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were brought to Kuno National Park as part of an effort to restore the species in India after its extinction in the country more than seven decades ago.The Indian government had officially declared the cheetah extinct in 1952. Historical records indicate that the last known wild cheetahs in India were sighted in 1948, when three animals were hunted in present-day Chhattisgarh.According to officials, the post-mortem report will provide further clarity on the circumstances surrounding the latest death.

(Asstt.Editor)