News Analysis India

Tag: Kuno National Park

  • MP: Two cheetahs brought back to enclosure at KNP for health examination

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: Two more translocated cheetahs were brought back to the enclosure for health examination at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district on Tuesday, officials said.

    Prabhas (male) and Veera (female), the two animals, were found to be in good health but they will be kept at the enclosure till another check-up is conducted, they added.

    Of the 20 adult cheetahs translocated to Kuno from Namibia and South Africa, only two are now left in the free-range area of the park.

    KNP veterinarians and experts from Namibia and South Africa examined Prabhas and Veera on Tuesday, officials said.

    Five of the translocated cheetahs and three cubs have died at the KNP since March this year.

    ALSO READ | Another blow to Project Cheetah as fourth adult dies in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park

    Madhya Pradesh’s chief wildlife warden Aseem Shrivastava said in a press release that Prabhas and Veera were brought to `bomas’ (enclosure) for a health examination and both were healthy.

    They will be kept in the bomas till the next health examination, he said.

    A total of 13 cheetahs (seven male and six female) are currently inside the enclosures, Shrivastava added.

    On Monday, officials had said that radio collars of six cheetahs have been removed for health examination.

    Under Project Cheetah, which seeks to reintroduce the species in the wild in India, a total of 20 cheetahs were imported from Namibia and South Africa.

    Later, four cubs were born to the Namibian cheetah ‘Jwala’ inside the park.

    BHOPAL: Two more translocated cheetahs were brought back to the enclosure for health examination at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district on Tuesday, officials said.

    Prabhas (male) and Veera (female), the two animals, were found to be in good health but they will be kept at the enclosure till another check-up is conducted, they added.

    Of the 20 adult cheetahs translocated to Kuno from Namibia and South Africa, only two are now left in the free-range area of the park.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    KNP veterinarians and experts from Namibia and South Africa examined Prabhas and Veera on Tuesday, officials said.

    Five of the translocated cheetahs and three cubs have died at the KNP since March this year.

    ALSO READ | Another blow to Project Cheetah as fourth adult dies in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park

    Madhya Pradesh’s chief wildlife warden Aseem Shrivastava said in a press release that Prabhas and Veera were brought to `bomas’ (enclosure) for a health examination and both were healthy.

    They will be kept in the bomas till the next health examination, he said.

    A total of 13 cheetahs (seven male and six female) are currently inside the enclosures, Shrivastava added.

    On Monday, officials had said that radio collars of six cheetahs have been removed for health examination.

    Under Project Cheetah, which seeks to reintroduce the species in the wild in India, a total of 20 cheetahs were imported from Namibia and South Africa.

    Later, four cubs were born to the Namibian cheetah ‘Jwala’ inside the park.

  • Another blow to Project Cheetah as fourth adult dies in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Yet another adult African cheetah has died inside one of the enclosures of Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP).

    The adult South African cheetah named Tejas died at around 3 pm on Tuesday in an enclosure, where it was housed with a Namibian female for mating.

    “Our regular monitoring team spotted the wound in the upper portion of the neck of SA cheetah at around 11 am, which was promptly informed to the veterinary specialists in the park. The vets subsequently examined the injured cheetah and found that the wound was serious. Just when the team of vets reached the spot again to tranquilize the injured cheetah and start its treatment, the cheetah was found dead in the enclosure at around 2 pm,” a senior MP forest department official told The New Indian Express.

    While the actual reason behind the cheetah’s death will be ascertained only after the autopsy is over, the wound on the neck suggests that a physical struggle with the Namibian female could have led to the fatality.

    ALSO READ | ‘We take responsibility but project will be successful’: Environment minister on cheetah deaths

    “This is the fourth death of an adult cheetah at the KNP since the last week of March. Three of the four cheetah cubs born to a Namibian female in March also died.

    In May this year, the central government had denied any lapse behind the deaths of six cheetahs (including three cubs) within two months at the KNP. A senior central government official made it clear that even if 50% of the cheetahs brought from Africa survive, the Project Cheetah will be considered successful.

    “There is no lapse behind any of the cheetah deaths. Even in the case of deaths of the three cheetah cubs, global wildlife literature clearly mentions 90% infant mortality among cheetahs. We haven’t done any trials with any of the cheetahs trans-located to KNP from the two African nations. Cheetahs live in coalition, so even the mating of a female cheetah with a male coalition, (aggressive interaction led to the female’s death), wasn’t done as any trial. It was done based on documented evidence and following clearance from African experts,” CP Goyal, the director general of forests at the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, had said on May 29 in Bhopal.

    Seven decades after the fastest moving mammal officially became extinct in India due to rampant hunting, eight Namibian cheetahs were introduced at KNP by PM Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday on September 17, 2022. Five months later, 12 South African cheetahs were flown to the same national park in MP’s Sheopur district in February 2023, taking the total count there to 20.

    After the deaths of four adults and three cubs since March 2023, there are now 16 adults (12 in the jungles and four in enclosures) and one cub left at the KNP.

    BHOPAL: Yet another adult African cheetah has died inside one of the enclosures of Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP).

    The adult South African cheetah named Tejas died at around 3 pm on Tuesday in an enclosure, where it was housed with a Namibian female for mating.

    “Our regular monitoring team spotted the wound in the upper portion of the neck of SA cheetah at around 11 am, which was promptly informed to the veterinary specialists in the park. The vets subsequently examined the injured cheetah and found that the wound was serious. Just when the team of vets reached the spot again to tranquilize the injured cheetah and start its treatment, the cheetah was found dead in the enclosure at around 2 pm,” a senior MP forest department official told The New Indian Express.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    While the actual reason behind the cheetah’s death will be ascertained only after the autopsy is over, the wound on the neck suggests that a physical struggle with the Namibian female could have led to the fatality.

    ALSO READ | ‘We take responsibility but project will be successful’: Environment minister on cheetah deaths

    “This is the fourth death of an adult cheetah at the KNP since the last week of March. Three of the four cheetah cubs born to a Namibian female in March also died.

    In May this year, the central government had denied any lapse behind the deaths of six cheetahs (including three cubs) within two months at the KNP. A senior central government official made it clear that even if 50% of the cheetahs brought from Africa survive, the Project Cheetah will be considered successful.

    “There is no lapse behind any of the cheetah deaths. Even in the case of deaths of the three cheetah cubs, global wildlife literature clearly mentions 90% infant mortality among cheetahs. We haven’t done any trials with any of the cheetahs trans-located to KNP from the two African nations. Cheetahs live in coalition, so even the mating of a female cheetah with a male coalition, (aggressive interaction led to the female’s death), wasn’t done as any trial. It was done based on documented evidence and following clearance from African experts,” CP Goyal, the director general of forests at the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, had said on May 29 in Bhopal.

    Seven decades after the fastest moving mammal officially became extinct in India due to rampant hunting, eight Namibian cheetahs were introduced at KNP by PM Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday on September 17, 2022. Five months later, 12 South African cheetahs were flown to the same national park in MP’s Sheopur district in February 2023, taking the total count there to 20.

    After the deaths of four adults and three cubs since March 2023, there are now 16 adults (12 in the jungles and four in enclosures) and one cub left at the KNP.

  • ‘We take responsibility but project will be successful’: Environment minister on cheetah deaths

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With three cheetahs and as many cubs dying at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in three months, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said, “We take responsibility for whatever happened.” However, he asserted that the translocation project will be a major success.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh on September 17 last year.

    In a second such translocation, 12 cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released into Kuno on February 18.

    Three cheetahs died in March and April.

    Of the 17 remaining adult cheetahs, seven have already been released into the wild.

    The death of three adult cheetahs and three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah, Sisaya, has prompted questions from several experts on the suitability of the habitat and wildlife management.

    ALSO READ | Residents around Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno park offer prayers for well-being of cheetah cubs

    “It’s an international project and we had anticipated mortality. It’s mentioned in our report too (cheetah introduction action plan). One of the cheetahs was unwell before it even came to India. We have provided the reasons for the deaths of the two other (adult) cheetahs. The three cubs died due to extreme heat. The temperature soared to 47 degrees Celsius. We take responsibility for whatever happened. However, the project will be a major success and the whole country will be proud of it,” said Yadav in reply to a question at Times Network’s conclave.

    Shortly after news emerged about the death of two cheetah cubs last week, the Centre set up an 11-member high-level steering committee to review and monitor the progress of the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

    The government and experts involved in the project have maintained that the mortalities are within the normal range.

    The action plan for cheetah reintroduction anticipated up to 50 per cent mortality in the first year of relocation.

    The steering committee met for the first time on Wednesday and decided to release seven more cheetahs, including two females, into the wild by the third week of June.

    NEW DELHI: With three cheetahs and as many cubs dying at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in three months, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said, “We take responsibility for whatever happened.” However, he asserted that the translocation project will be a major success.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh on September 17 last year.

    In a second such translocation, 12 cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released into Kuno on February 18.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Three cheetahs died in March and April.

    Of the 17 remaining adult cheetahs, seven have already been released into the wild.

    The death of three adult cheetahs and three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah, Sisaya, has prompted questions from several experts on the suitability of the habitat and wildlife management.

    ALSO READ | Residents around Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno park offer prayers for well-being of cheetah cubs

    “It’s an international project and we had anticipated mortality. It’s mentioned in our report too (cheetah introduction action plan). One of the cheetahs was unwell before it even came to India. We have provided the reasons for the deaths of the two other (adult) cheetahs. The three cubs died due to extreme heat. The temperature soared to 47 degrees Celsius. We take responsibility for whatever happened. However, the project will be a major success and the whole country will be proud of it,” said Yadav in reply to a question at Times Network’s conclave.

    Shortly after news emerged about the death of two cheetah cubs last week, the Centre set up an 11-member high-level steering committee to review and monitor the progress of the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

    The government and experts involved in the project have maintained that the mortalities are within the normal range.

    The action plan for cheetah reintroduction anticipated up to 50 per cent mortality in the first year of relocation.

    The steering committee met for the first time on Wednesday and decided to release seven more cheetahs, including two females, into the wild by the third week of June.

  • Special prayers hoping to save remaining cheetahs in Kuno National Park held in MP’s Karhal town

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: The residents of Karhal town in Madhya Pradesh are holding special prayers for the remaining African cheetahs in Kuno National Park (KNP). 

    The death of six cheetahs, including three cubs within a span of two months at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) has prompted this move as the residents consider the cheetah’s well-being their future prosperity and development.

    The Manshapoorna Hanuman Temple in Karahal town (15 km from the KNP and 50 km from the Sheopur district HQ) is resonating with special prayers for the safety of cheetahs since Thursday evening.

    An Akhand Jyoti has been lit-up, and round-the-clock keertans and bhajans, as well as a special Sunder Kand path, have been started at the temple for the safety of the cheetahs.

    “The doctors are doing their job at the KNP to save the life of the last of the four cheetah cubs that were born at the park in March last week. But along with dava (medicine) dua (prayers to god) too are necessary for the safety of the cheetahs,” Karahal resident Giriraj Paliwal, who is also the panchayat secretary of neighbouring Ranipura village told the TNIE on Friday.

    Paliwal, who is also one of Cheetah Mitras (volunteers appointed to promote the protection of cheetahs among natives of the area) said, “Not only will the special prayers continue at the temple in Karahal but we hope that residents in adjoining villages too start similar prayers for the safety of the cheetahs.”

    “The people residing in this backward Karahal block of MP hope that cheetah tourism will bring prosperity to the lives of local people. Lands that were once priced at Rs One Lakh have since then seen their value zoom by five to ten times. In many villages close to the KNP, almost 60% of the lands are sold now to those planning to develop resorts and hotels to cash on the Cheetah Tourism whenever it starts. We hope cheetah tourism will render our jobless youths many jobs, particularly that of tour guides and also lead to the overall development of the small Karahal town, which is 15 km from KNP. But for that to happen, the cheetahs need to be safe and healthy.”

    The KNP has witnessed six cheetah deaths in the last 60 days, including three Namibian and South African adults and three out of the four cubs born to a Namibian cheetah Siyaya aka Jwala in March. The fourth cub is stated to be critical at KNP Hospital.

    As part of PM Narendra Modi’s ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction Project into Indian wilds – seven decades after the fastest moving animal on earth was declared extinct in India – eight Namibian cheetahs were released into the KNP on September 17, 2022 (PM’s 72nd birthday) and 12 South African cheetahs were released into the same park on February 18, 2023. But out of the 20 Namibian and SA cheetahs, now only 17 adults and one cub (which is stated critical) are alive.

    The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted a Cheetah Project Steering Committee headed by Dr Rajesh Gopal, the secretary general of Global Tiger Forum, New Delhi.
    The 11-member panel, which will also have on board four wildlife and veterinary experts from Namibia and South Africa as consultants, will review the progress, and monitor and advise on the reintroduction to the MP Forest Department and the NTCA.
    It will also work on opening the Cheetah habitat for eco-tourism and suggest related regulations, besides suggesting on local community interface and their involvement in the project’s activities.

    BHOPAL: The residents of Karhal town in Madhya Pradesh are holding special prayers for the remaining African cheetahs in Kuno National Park (KNP). 

    The death of six cheetahs, including three cubs within a span of two months at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) has prompted this move as the residents consider the cheetah’s well-being their future prosperity and development.

    The Manshapoorna Hanuman Temple in Karahal town (15 km from the KNP and 50 km from the Sheopur district HQ) is resonating with special prayers for the safety of cheetahs since Thursday evening.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    An Akhand Jyoti has been lit-up, and round-the-clock keertans and bhajans, as well as a special Sunder Kand path, have been started at the temple for the safety of the cheetahs.

    “The doctors are doing their job at the KNP to save the life of the last of the four cheetah cubs that were born at the park in March last week. But along with dava (medicine) dua (prayers to god) too are necessary for the safety of the cheetahs,” Karahal resident Giriraj Paliwal, who is also the panchayat secretary of neighbouring Ranipura village told the TNIE on Friday.

    Paliwal, who is also one of Cheetah Mitras (volunteers appointed to promote the protection of cheetahs among natives of the area) said, “Not only will the special prayers continue at the temple in Karahal but we hope that residents in adjoining villages too start similar prayers for the safety of the cheetahs.”

    “The people residing in this backward Karahal block of MP hope that cheetah tourism will bring prosperity to the lives of local people. Lands that were once priced at Rs One Lakh have since then seen their value zoom by five to ten times. In many villages close to the KNP, almost 60% of the lands are sold now to those planning to develop resorts and hotels to cash on the Cheetah Tourism whenever it starts. We hope cheetah tourism will render our jobless youths many jobs, particularly that of tour guides and also lead to the overall development of the small Karahal town, which is 15 km from KNP. But for that to happen, the cheetahs need to be safe and healthy.”

    The KNP has witnessed six cheetah deaths in the last 60 days, including three Namibian and South African adults and three out of the four cubs born to a Namibian cheetah Siyaya aka Jwala in March. The fourth cub is stated to be critical at KNP Hospital.

    As part of PM Narendra Modi’s ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction Project into Indian wilds – seven decades after the fastest moving animal on earth was declared extinct in India – eight Namibian cheetahs were released into the KNP on September 17, 2022 (PM’s 72nd birthday) and 12 South African cheetahs were released into the same park on February 18, 2023. But out of the 20 Namibian and SA cheetahs, now only 17 adults and one cub (which is stated critical) are alive.

    The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted a Cheetah Project Steering Committee headed by Dr Rajesh Gopal, the secretary general of Global Tiger Forum, New Delhi.
    The 11-member panel, which will also have on board four wildlife and veterinary experts from Namibia and South Africa as consultants, will review the progress, and monitor and advise on the reintroduction to the MP Forest Department and the NTCA.
    It will also work on opening the Cheetah habitat for eco-tourism and suggest related regulations, besides suggesting on local community interface and their involvement in the project’s activities.

  • Five more cheetahs to be released into open jungles of Kuno National Park by end of May

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Amid the dark shadow of the deaths of three cheetahs in less than 45 days, five of the 17 Namibian and South African cheetahs housed in big enclosures at the Kuno National Park (KNP) are likely to be released into the open jungles of the park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district by the end of May.

    According to highly placed sources at the MP Forest Department in Bhopal, the task force constituted by the central government to monitor the introduction of cheetahs at the KNP has given its nod for the release of at least five more cheetahs, including Namibian and South African felines, into the open jungles.

    “We’re working on it and if all goes as planned, then the five cheetahs may be released in the open jungles within the next 15 days,” a senior state forest department official told The New Indian Express on Thursday.

    Once in the open jungles, the five cheetahs (possibly three females and two males) will join three Namibian cheetahs – female Aasha and male coalition Elton aka Gaurav and Freddy aka Shaurya, who were among the four cheetahs released into the open jungles in March.

    ALSO READ | Third cheetah dies at MP’s Kuno National Park after ‘violent interaction’ during mating

    Of the four Namibian cheetahs released into KNP’s open jungles in March, male cheetah Oban aka Pawan had to brought back into the big enclosure of the KNP (and is now housed in a big enclosure with two females), as it was regularly straying out of the KNP and causing panic to human habitats in adjoining villages.

    As per informed sources, the central government task force monitoring cheetah introduction at KNP has in consultation with South African experts and specialists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) decided to okay the release of five more cheetahs into the jungles after closely monitoring their behavioural patterns.

    The KNP, which had welcomed 20 African cheetahs in two batches (eight from Namibia on September 17, 2022 and 12 from South Africa on February 18, 2023) as part of the country’s ambitious project to reintroduce the fastest moving animal on earth in the Indian wilds 70 years after their extinction, now has just 17 cheetahs (seven from Namibia and 10 from South Africa) and four cubs born to Namibian female Siyaya aka Jwala on March 29.

    The KNP has already lost three cheetahs including two females in less than 45 days. While Namibian female Sasha died of acute renal infection on March 27, South African male Uday died due to cardiopulmonary failure on April 23 and South African female Daksha died reportedly due to violent mating by the duo Vayu and Agni on May 9.

    BHOPAL: Amid the dark shadow of the deaths of three cheetahs in less than 45 days, five of the 17 Namibian and South African cheetahs housed in big enclosures at the Kuno National Park (KNP) are likely to be released into the open jungles of the park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district by the end of May.

    According to highly placed sources at the MP Forest Department in Bhopal, the task force constituted by the central government to monitor the introduction of cheetahs at the KNP has given its nod for the release of at least five more cheetahs, including Namibian and South African felines, into the open jungles.

    “We’re working on it and if all goes as planned, then the five cheetahs may be released in the open jungles within the next 15 days,” a senior state forest department official told The New Indian Express on Thursday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Once in the open jungles, the five cheetahs (possibly three females and two males) will join three Namibian cheetahs – female Aasha and male coalition Elton aka Gaurav and Freddy aka Shaurya, who were among the four cheetahs released into the open jungles in March.

    ALSO READ | Third cheetah dies at MP’s Kuno National Park after ‘violent interaction’ during mating

    Of the four Namibian cheetahs released into KNP’s open jungles in March, male cheetah Oban aka Pawan had to brought back into the big enclosure of the KNP (and is now housed in a big enclosure with two females), as it was regularly straying out of the KNP and causing panic to human habitats in adjoining villages.

    As per informed sources, the central government task force monitoring cheetah introduction at KNP has in consultation with South African experts and specialists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) decided to okay the release of five more cheetahs into the jungles after closely monitoring their behavioural patterns.

    The KNP, which had welcomed 20 African cheetahs in two batches (eight from Namibia on September 17, 2022 and 12 from South Africa on February 18, 2023) as part of the country’s ambitious project to reintroduce the fastest moving animal on earth in the Indian wilds 70 years after their extinction, now has just 17 cheetahs (seven from Namibia and 10 from South Africa) and four cubs born to Namibian female Siyaya aka Jwala on March 29.

    The KNP has already lost three cheetahs including two females in less than 45 days. While Namibian female Sasha died of acute renal infection on March 27, South African male Uday died due to cardiopulmonary failure on April 23 and South African female Daksha died reportedly due to violent mating by the duo Vayu and Agni on May 9.

  • Cheetah from Namibia gives birth to four cubs at MP’s Kuno National Park 

    By PTI

    SHEOPUR/BHOPAL: A cheetah translocated from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has given birth to four healthy cubs, officials said on Wednesday.

    The happy news came in the wake of the death of another relocated female cheetah at the Park two days ago.

    A total of 20 felines — eight from Namibia and 12 from South Africa — were brought to Kuno National Park in Sheopur district since last September.

    The cubs were believed to have been born five days ago but they were spotted by officials on Wednesday, a senior forest official said.

    `Siyaya’, their mother, was among the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia.

    “It is a matter of happiness that Siyaya gave birth to four cubs,” Sheopur divisional forest officer P K Varma told reporters.

    The mother and the cubs were fine and healthy, he added.

    In fact, Siyaya has killed two animals since she became a mother, officials said.

    She has been kept in a big enclosure at the park as of now.

    Sasha, another female cheetah brought from Namibia, died of a kidney-related illness on March 27.

    A female cheetah generally gives birth 90 to 93 days after mating.

    As Namibian cheetahs were brought here on September 17, 2022, Siyaya would have mated after her arrival in India.

    The four new-born cubs can be said to be `Indian cheetahs’, born in the wild on Indian soil after the last cheetah was hunted in the Korean district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947.

    This fastest land animal species was declared extinct in the country in 1952.

    The relocation of cheetahs from Africa is part of an ambitious plan to revive their population in India.

    Twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa in February 2023 are housed in a quarantine enclosure and are healthy and active, a forest official said.

    The Namibian cheetahs — five female and three male — were released into enclosures at the KNP on September 17 at an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    SHEOPUR/BHOPAL: A cheetah translocated from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has given birth to four healthy cubs, officials said on Wednesday.

    The happy news came in the wake of the death of another relocated female cheetah at the Park two days ago.

    A total of 20 felines — eight from Namibia and 12 from South Africa — were brought to Kuno National Park in Sheopur district since last September.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    The cubs were believed to have been born five days ago but they were spotted by officials on Wednesday, a senior forest official said.

    `Siyaya’, their mother, was among the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia.

    “It is a matter of happiness that Siyaya gave birth to four cubs,” Sheopur divisional forest officer P K Varma told reporters.

    The mother and the cubs were fine and healthy, he added.

    In fact, Siyaya has killed two animals since she became a mother, officials said.

    She has been kept in a big enclosure at the park as of now.

    Sasha, another female cheetah brought from Namibia, died of a kidney-related illness on March 27.

    A female cheetah generally gives birth 90 to 93 days after mating.

    As Namibian cheetahs were brought here on September 17, 2022, Siyaya would have mated after her arrival in India.

    The four new-born cubs can be said to be `Indian cheetahs’, born in the wild on Indian soil after the last cheetah was hunted in the Korean district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947.

    This fastest land animal species was declared extinct in the country in 1952.

    The relocation of cheetahs from Africa is part of an ambitious plan to revive their population in India.

    Twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa in February 2023 are housed in a quarantine enclosure and are healthy and active, a forest official said.

    The Namibian cheetahs — five female and three male — were released into enclosures at the KNP on September 17 at an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

  • Namibian cheetah Sasha dies in MP’s Kuno park due to kidney ailment 

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: Namibian cheetah Sasha died due to a kidney ailment on Monday, more than 6 months after she was translocated along with seven other big cats to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) from the African country, a top forest department official said.

    The death of the more than four-and-a-half years old female feline is being seen as a setback to Project Cheetah, aimed at reviving the population of the world’s fastest land animal in India, seven decades after they became extinct.

    Eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia in mid-September last year and housed in the KNP in Sheopur district.

    Sasha died because of a kidney ailment which she was suffering from even before her translocation from Namibia, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF-Wildlife) JS Chauhan told PTI.

    “A monitoring team found Sasha lazy on March 22, following which they decided to take her to a quarantine enclosure for treatment,” he said.

    The wild animal’s blood sample was collected the same day and examined.

    A wildlife expert armed with a portable ultrasound machine went inside the KNP to examine the ailing cheetah and it was found that Sasha’s kidneys were infected, said Chauhan.

    Later, senior Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientists and KNP management contacted the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia, to know the treatment history of Sasha.

    They found that in her last blood sample, collected on August 15, 2022, (a month before being translocated to KNP), the animal’s creatinine level was 400 (an indicator of poor kidney function), he said.

    The high creatinine level clearly established that the feline was suffering from a kidney ailment even before she was translocated to the KNP, Chauhan said in a statement.

    Namibian wildlife experts and KNP veterinary doctors worked hard day and night to cure Sasha, but the animal did not survive, the forest official said. The seven other cheetahs are doing well.

    Among these seven, three male and a female were released in the park’s open forest area and they are “totally healthy, active and hunting in a normal manner,” the statement said.

    Twelve cheetahs brought to the KNP from South Africa last month are at present housed in a quarantine enclosure and they are healthy and active, it added.

    The eight Namibian cheetahs – five female and three male – were released into their enclosures at the KNP on September 17 at an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The last cheetah died in India in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the fastest land animal was declared extinct in the country in 1952.

    BHOPAL: Namibian cheetah Sasha died due to a kidney ailment on Monday, more than 6 months after she was translocated along with seven other big cats to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) from the African country, a top forest department official said.

    The death of the more than four-and-a-half years old female feline is being seen as a setback to Project Cheetah, aimed at reviving the population of the world’s fastest land animal in India, seven decades after they became extinct.

    Eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia in mid-September last year and housed in the KNP in Sheopur district.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Sasha died because of a kidney ailment which she was suffering from even before her translocation from Namibia, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF-Wildlife) JS Chauhan told PTI.

    “A monitoring team found Sasha lazy on March 22, following which they decided to take her to a quarantine enclosure for treatment,” he said.

    The wild animal’s blood sample was collected the same day and examined.

    A wildlife expert armed with a portable ultrasound machine went inside the KNP to examine the ailing cheetah and it was found that Sasha’s kidneys were infected, said Chauhan.

    Later, senior Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientists and KNP management contacted the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia, to know the treatment history of Sasha.

    They found that in her last blood sample, collected on August 15, 2022, (a month before being translocated to KNP), the animal’s creatinine level was 400 (an indicator of poor kidney function), he said.

    The high creatinine level clearly established that the feline was suffering from a kidney ailment even before she was translocated to the KNP, Chauhan said in a statement.

    Namibian wildlife experts and KNP veterinary doctors worked hard day and night to cure Sasha, but the animal did not survive, the forest official said. The seven other cheetahs are doing well.

    Among these seven, three male and a female were released in the park’s open forest area and they are “totally healthy, active and hunting in a normal manner,” the statement said.

    Twelve cheetahs brought to the KNP from South Africa last month are at present housed in a quarantine enclosure and they are healthy and active, it added.

    The eight Namibian cheetahs – five female and three male – were released into their enclosures at the KNP on September 17 at an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The last cheetah died in India in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the fastest land animal was declared extinct in the country in 1952.

  • 12 wild cheetahs from South Africa to reach Kuno on February 18

    Express News Service

    BHOPAL: The Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh is all set to welcome 12 semi-adult and adult wild cheetahs from South Africa on February 18.As many as 10 ‘bomas’ (small enclosures) are set to become the first home of the 12 satellite-collared wild cheetahs from South Africa (including two pairs of siblings) in India. The cheetahs from South Africa are likely to include seven males and five females. They will be flown from Johannesburg to Gwalior in an IAF aircraft, MP forest department officials told this newspaper on Tuesday.

    Once in Gwalior on February 18 morning, the cheetahs will be flown to KNP in IAF copters, officials said.On September 17, 2022, eight Namibian cheetahs were flown to India in a private aircraft.“Ten quarantine bomas are ready to house the 12 wild cheetahs (a pair each of coalition animals/siblings will be housed in two bomas) where they will be fed buffalo meat for at least a month, before being shifted to bigger enclosures like the eight cheetahs flown from Namibia on PM Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17, 2022, to mark the first successful inter-continental translocation of the African cheetahs to India,” a senior KNP official said.Two more quarantine enclosures have been kept as a backup in case of any exigency (like illness) with any of the 12 South African cheetahs in the future.

    Namibian cheetahsOf the eight Namibian cheetahs flown in at KNP, five are wild and three bred in captivity, so they take more time to acclimatise with the wild, particularly in dealing with co-predators like leopards. On the other hand, the 12 South African cheetahs arriving on February 18 are wild.

    BHOPAL: The Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh is all set to welcome 12 semi-adult and adult wild cheetahs from South Africa on February 18.As many as 10 ‘bomas’ (small enclosures) are set to become the first home of the 12 satellite-collared wild cheetahs from South Africa (including two pairs of siblings) in India. The cheetahs from South Africa are likely to include seven males and five females. They will be flown from Johannesburg to Gwalior in an IAF aircraft, MP forest department officials told this newspaper on Tuesday.

    Once in Gwalior on February 18 morning, the cheetahs will be flown to KNP in IAF copters, officials said.
    On September 17, 2022, eight Namibian cheetahs were flown to India in a private aircraft.“Ten quarantine bomas are ready to house the 12 wild cheetahs (a pair each of coalition animals/siblings will be housed in two bomas) where they will be fed buffalo meat for at least a month, before being shifted to bigger enclosures like the eight cheetahs flown from Namibia on PM Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17, 2022, to mark the first successful inter-continental translocation of the African cheetahs to India,” a senior KNP official said.Two more quarantine enclosures have been kept as a backup in case of any exigency (like illness) with any of the 12 South African cheetahs in the future.

    Namibian cheetahs
    Of the eight Namibian cheetahs flown in at KNP, five are wild and three bred in captivity, so they take more time to acclimatise with the wild, particularly in dealing with co-predators like leopards. On the other hand, the 12 South African cheetahs arriving on February 18 are wild.

  • 49 days after arrival, 2 Cheetahs shifted to big enclosure at Kuno

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL:  Two of the eight Cheetahs flown from India to Namibia on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 72nd birthday have been shifted to a bigger enclosure at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh.

    The two Cheetahs were shifted to a larger enclosure at the KNP in Sheopur district on Saturday evening, following the nod from the Special Task Force constituted by the centre in September to monitor the Cheetah reintroduction project.

    But as per sources close to the MP forest minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, the minister isn’t happy over not being taken into confidence before the two Cheetahs  Freddie and Elton were released into a bigger enclosure on Saturday evening.

    Since being flown from Africa to India on September 17 early morning, the eight Cheetahs (five females and three males) were housed in smaller bomas (enclosures) for the mandatory quarantine period. They were to be shifted to bigger enclosure after a month only for better acclimatization with the new environment and gradually start with hunting of prey base. But with the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Namibia wanting some more arrangements, the shifting was delayed by around 15 days.

    While two Cheetahs have been shifted to the bigger enclosure on Saturday evening, the remaining six big cats will be shifted from the smaller bomas, after a female leopard recently spotted in one of the bigger enclosures is successfully captured by the KNP management. After two to three months in the bigger enclosures, the Cheetahs brought from Namibia are likely to be released in the wild at the KNP.

    BHOPAL:  Two of the eight Cheetahs flown from India to Namibia on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 72nd birthday have been shifted to a bigger enclosure at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh.

    The two Cheetahs were shifted to a larger enclosure at the KNP in Sheopur district on Saturday evening, following the nod from the Special Task Force constituted by the centre in September to monitor the Cheetah reintroduction project.

    But as per sources close to the MP forest minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, the minister isn’t happy over not being taken into confidence before the two Cheetahs  Freddie and Elton were released into a bigger enclosure on Saturday evening.

    Since being flown from Africa to India on September 17 early morning, the eight Cheetahs (five females and three males) were housed in smaller bomas (enclosures) for the mandatory quarantine period. They were to be shifted to bigger enclosure after a month only for better acclimatization with the new environment and gradually start with hunting of prey base. But with the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Namibia wanting some more arrangements, the shifting was delayed by around 15 days.

    While two Cheetahs have been shifted to the bigger enclosure on Saturday evening, the remaining six big cats will be shifted from the smaller bomas, after a female leopard recently spotted in one of 
    the bigger enclosures is successfully captured by the KNP management. After two to three months in the bigger enclosures, the Cheetahs brought from Namibia are likely to be released in the wild at the KNP.

  • Female cheetah at Kuno National Park not pregnant, clear wildlife officials

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund, the donor agency that provided the eight cheetahs to India before they were released at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) on September 17, has not confirmed that any of the five female cats are pregnant, a top forest official of the state said on Sunday.

    “There is nothing to support the October 1 media reports that one of the female cheetahs is pregnant,” Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J S Chauhan. According to reports, one of the cheetahs, named Asha, has been “exhibiting all behavioural, physical and hormonal signs” of being pregnant. Asha was among the cheetahs picked from the Namibian wilds. But Chauhan, who dismissed the reports, said that “neither has the donor agency (CCF) confirmed nor have we conducted any test based on which it can be said that one of the cheetahs is pregnant”.

    Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dean and Senior Scientist Dr Yadvendradev V Jhala, who and eight other researchers have been maintaining round the-the-clock observation over the cheetahs, dismissed the reports as being based on “rumours”.

    Disclosing that “ultrasonography tests were done on all the eight cheetahs”, Jhala said that “it is possible that she had embryos which were at a very primitive stage and the long, stressful long flight,” may have taken its toll. A WII researcher, who is part of team, also dismissed the reports, saying, “there is no indication that any of the female cheetahs is pregnant”.

    Each of the cheetahs is in separate (50 mt x 30 mt) enclosures during the on-going month-long quarantine. “So there is no question that any male-female pair mated after reaching Kuno,” Chauhan said. The cheetahs “will be eligible” on October 17 for moving to the bigger enclosure 5.5 sq km where they will be able to hunt on their own, Chauhan said, adding that “depending on their health and adaptability, they will remain in these nine enclosures for three to four months”.

    NEW DELHI: The Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund, the donor agency that provided the eight cheetahs to India before they were released at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) on September 17, has not confirmed that any of the five female cats are pregnant, a top forest official of the state said on Sunday.

    “There is nothing to support the October 1 media reports that one of the female cheetahs is pregnant,” Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J S Chauhan. According to reports, one of the cheetahs, named Asha, has been “exhibiting all behavioural, physical and hormonal signs” of being pregnant. Asha was among the cheetahs picked from the Namibian wilds. But Chauhan, who dismissed the reports, said that “neither has the donor agency (CCF) confirmed nor have we conducted any test based on which it can be said that one of the cheetahs is pregnant”.

    Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dean and Senior Scientist Dr Yadvendradev V Jhala, who and eight other researchers have been maintaining round the-the-clock observation over the cheetahs, dismissed the reports as being based on “rumours”.

    Disclosing that “ultrasonography tests were done on all the eight cheetahs”, Jhala said that “it is possible that she had embryos which were at a very primitive stage and the long, stressful long flight,” may have taken its toll. A WII researcher, who is part of team, also dismissed the reports, saying, “there is no indication that any of the female cheetahs is pregnant”.

    Each of the cheetahs is in separate (50 mt x 30 mt) enclosures during the on-going month-long quarantine. “So there is no question that any male-female pair mated after reaching Kuno,” Chauhan said. The cheetahs “will be eligible” on October 17 for moving to the bigger enclosure 5.5 sq km where they will be able to hunt on their own, Chauhan said, adding that “depending on their health and adaptability, they will remain in these nine enclosures for three to four months”.