Bhopal: A five-month-old cub of African cheetah, Gamini, died at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, an official said.
This is the second fatality of a cheetah cub in the last two months after June 4. Both the deceased cubs were born to Gamini in March this year and part of her six-cub litter.
The cub’s health condition suddenly worsened on Monday morning and emergency treatment was given. But the cub unfortunately died, as per a release issued by APCCF (Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest) Uttam Kumar Sharma, Director of Lion Project.
The latest fatality took the number of the feline death count since the launch of the Cheetah Reintroduction project in September 2022, to 12, including seven adult cheetahs- three females and four males, and five cubs, the official said.
The rest 25 cheetahs are healthy and normal.
During monitoring on July 29 evening, one of the cubs of Gamini was seen unable to lift the hind portion of its body.
On further observation, the cub was seen dragging the entire hind portion. She was immediately rescued and brought to the hospital. The examination found that the cub’s vertebral column was fractured, as per the release.
After necessary treatment, the cub was kept under intensive supervision, it said.
The cause of death will be known after the autopsy.
The remaining 13 adult cheetahs and 12 cubs, who were born on Indian soil, are healthy and normal.
The adult cheetahs have been given the preventive treatment for tick and other parasitic infections, the release stated. All cheetahs are being monitored regularly.
Under the ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction project, eight Namibian cheetahs, comprising five females and three males, were released into enclosures at the KNP on September 17 in 2022.
In February 2023, another batch of 12 cheetahs was translocated to the KNP from South Africa.
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