Only free-ranging cheetah in MP's Kuno dies, 13th death so far

Sheopur (MP)/New Delhi: The only free-ranging cheetah in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park has died, with officials suggesting drowning to be the primary cause of death.

Wildlife activists, however, suspect poaching although there were no external injuries on the Namibian cheetah Pawan, found lying near the edge of a swollen nullah amid bushes around 10:30 am on Tuesday.

According to a statement, veterinarians were alerted and a closer inspection revealed that the front half of the cheetah's body, including the head, was submerged in water.

"The preliminary cause of death appears to be drowning. Further details will be provided after the postmortem report is received," the statement said.

The incident occurs as authorities prepare to release the other cheetahs into the wild after the monsoon season ends and efforts are being expedited to bring a new batch of cheetahs by the end of the year.

"We are actively engaging with South Africa on the matter. A delegation will visit the country in late September or early October to hold ground-to-ground negotiations," an official from the National Tiger Conservation Authority told PTI on Tuesday.

"We have communicated to South Africa that we want to expedite efforts to bring another batch of cheetahs by the end of the year as per the recommendation of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee and in accordance with the action plan," the official added.

PTI has learned that negotiations are also going on with Kenya, and a memorandum of understanding is being finalized.

The 'Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India' talks about bringing 12-14 cheetahs each year from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries for five years to build a founder stock.

With Pawan's demise, a total of 13 cheetahs have died since the launch of Project Cheetah in September 2022. All these deaths occurred after March 2023.

Some of the 20 cheetahs brought to India so far -- eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023 -- were initially released into the wild but were returned to enclosures by August 13 of last year after three cheetahs died of septicemia.

Only Pawan remained in the wild. He was released into the wild on March 11, 2023 but brought back to the enclosure on April 22. He was again released on July 2, 2023.

On May 4, Pawan strayed into Karoli district in neighbouring Rajasthan and was rescued by the management.

In a meeting held recently, the Centre's Cheetah Project Steering Committee decided to release the African cheetahs and their cubs, born in India, into the wild in a phased manner after the monsoon withdraws from central parts of the country, which typically happens by the first week of October.

Since their arrival in India, eight adult cheetahs -- three females and five males -- have died, including four due to septicemia.

Seventeen cubs have been born in India, with 12 surviving. This brings the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno to 24, all of which are currently in enclosures.

"Drowning seems a little contrived as a reason, especially based on the description we have so far. No animal would put its head into water and drown like this unless it was washed away," said Ravi Chellam, CEO of Metastring Foundation and Coordinator, Biodiversity Collaborative.

Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey suspected poaching, saying that "big cats do not die by drowning".

Cheetahs, known for their exceptional speed and agility, can swim, though they are not particularly proficient at it, he added.

Earlier, officials mentioned that a quick response team had been formed and drones were being used to monitor the cheetahs, but this still happened, Dubey said.