Cheetah Cub Dies In Kuno National Park; Officials Say Was Weak Since Birth

A two-month-old cheetah cub, one of the four born to Namibian cheetah Jwala (formerly known as Siyaya), has tragically passed away in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, as confirmed by forest officials. The latest fatality took the death toll of cheetahs in KNP to four in the last two months, including three felines translocated from African countries.

Cheetah Jwala, a captive-bred cheetah, had given birth to four cubs on March 27, but the deceased cub was not released into the wild. Forest officials suspect dehydration as the possible cause of death.

Cheetahs were reintroduced in India, 70 years after the species was declared extinct. At present, Kuno National Park is home to 20 cheetahs, including three cubs. Six cheetahs have been released into the wild, while 14, including the three cubs, reside in a larger enclosure spanning 6 square kilometers.

Cheetah Jwala was brought from Namibia to KNP in Sheopur district in September 2022. She gave birth to four cubs in the last week of March this year.

One of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, succumbed to a kidney-related ailment on March 27, while another cheetah, Uday, from South Africa, died on April 13.

Daksha, a cheetah brought from South Africa, died of injuries following a violent interaction with a male during a mating attempt on May 9.

Siyaya's four cubs were born in the wild on Indian soil after the last cheetah was hunted in the Korea district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947.

In light of the limited space available in Kuno National Park, discussions are underway to potentially relocate some cheetahs to Rajasthan's Mukundra Hills tiger reserve.

The Madhya Pradesh government is also preparing a secondary habitat for the cheetahs at Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is expected to be ready in four months. These measures aim to ensure better cheetah survival, with the possibility of transferring some individuals to Mukundra, where a fenced enclosure is already in place.