Months after the reintroduction of Namibian cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, a cheetah named Shaurya has sadly passed away. The exact cause of death is still unknown and will be determined after a post-mortem examination. This marks the tenth death among the cheetahs brought from Namibia in 2022.
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According to a statement released by the Director of the Lion Project, the tracking team observed incoordination and a staggering gait in cheetah Shaurya around 11 am. The animal was tranquilized and weakness was discovered. Despite efforts to revive the cheetah, complications arose after resuscitation, and the animal failed to respond to CPR. The cause of death will be determined through the post-mortem examination.
This unfortunate event follows the passing of female cheetah Tblisi in August last year, making Shaurya the ninth cheetah to pass away. Tblisi was known for making her first hunt on World Cheetah Day, December 4, 2022. In June 2023, two male cheetahs named Tejas and Suraj also passed away. Earlier, in March 2023, female cheetah Sasha died due to kidney complications, followed by Uday, who succumbed to heart failure in April. On May 9, Daksha, a female cheetah, died during a fight with a male cheetah while mating. Additionally, three unnamed cheetah cubs died on May 23 due to sweltering heat and weakness.
Project Cheetah is an initiative aimed at reintroducing cheetahs into India, where they have been extinct for approximately 70 years. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) describes this project as the “first intercontinental reintroduction of a wild, large carnivore species.” It is also the first time that a southern African cheetah has been introduced to a foreign country.
The journey of Project Cheetah began in September 2010 when the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), a non-profit organization in Namibia, was invited by the government of India to participate in the program. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) shared an overview of the project, highlighting the global status of cheetahs, the complexities of reintroducing them to India, potential reintroduction areas, and details about the task force. In January 2020, the Supreme Court of India approved the pilot program for reintroducing cheetahs into the country. Subsequently, in July 2020, India and the Republic of Namibia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), with Namibia agreeing to donate eight cheetahs to the program.
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Five female and three male Southeast African cheetahs, aged between four and six, were brought to India and placed in quarantine in Kuno National Park. On September 17, 2022, three cheetahs were released into Kuno National Park on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 72nd birthday. The remaining cheetahs were released in phases after spending at least a month in quarantine to acclimatize to their new environment. The project received a total allocation of Rs 96 crore, with an additional Rs 50 crore provided by Indian Oil.
In February 2023, an additional 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa to expand the project. The MoEFCC plans to translocate 12 more cheetahs annually for the next eight to ten years, as stated in a press release by the ministry.
The passing of cheetah Shaurya is a tragic loss in the ongoing efforts of Project Cheetah. It highlights the challenges and risks involved in reintroducing a species that has been absent from the country for decades. The cause of Shaurya’s death will be determined through a post-mortem examination, providing valuable insights for the future of the project..
