It has become a mystery why two cheetahs died consecutively at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The wildlife and forest department officials are unable to determine the true causes of the repeated fatalities and question if Project Cheetah, which attempted to revive the population in the nation, was a failure. The officials maintain that it is too early to consider the initiative a failure despite the fact that eight cheetahs imported from Namibia and South Africa had perished in just five months.
The animals' neck wounds added to the mystery's depth. The authorities are attempting to determine whether or not it is difficult for cats to survive in India's climate.
Last week, Tejas and Suraj, two male cheetahs, passed away two days apart. Suraj's weight had dropped from 55 kg in February to 43 kg at the time of death. The cuts on the animals' necks also sparked concern about the cages' maintenance crew. According to some, the cheetahs fighting among themselves may have caused the wounds on the neck. What were the staff members doing when the cheetahs were fighting when they were meant to be caring for the animals 24 hours a day? Similar to this, why did they not inform the authorities when Suraj started to lose weight? After the cheetahs died, these and other concerns sprang to the surface.
Another theory for the neck wounds is that the radio collars that were strapped around the animals' necks caused an infection there. The wildlife authorities countered that nothing could now be determined. They stated that the post-mortem report must be obtained first and that only then would they be able to discuss the reason of the death.
For Project Cheetah, which aims to repopulate the animal's extinct population, the government allocated Rs 100 crore. Over twenty animals were imported to India as part of the experiment. So far, eight of them—five adults and three cubs—have perished.
A special team from Namibia is also anticipated to come to look into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Additionally, a special committee is being established in the nation to look into the cheetah fatalities.
Veterinarians later reported that Suraj passed away while undergoing treatment for its neck wounds. Cheetahs arrived from Namibia in September of the previous year. Various factors, including renal infection and heart failure, contributed to the deaths of Sasha from Namibia, Uday from South Africa, and Daksha. They were natural deaths, according to the departments of the environment and forests.
The government has chose to create a Cheetah Research Center as part of the initiative. It would be interesting to see what information the post-mortem study reveals and what modifications the authorities make to improve the odds of the cheetahs surviving.
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