MP: Mysterious death of 20-month-old female cheetah in Kuno National Park, leopard attack or some other predator?:

News Topical, Digital Desk : A 20-month-old female cheetah was found dead in Kuno National Park on September 15. This cub, born to African cheetah 'Jwala', was found dead at 6.30 pm. Forest department officials suspect that she may have died in a leopard attack, although the real cause is expected to be known only after the post-mortem report.

Uttam Sharma, Cheetah Project Field Director of Kuno Park, said that this cub was released in the forest with its mother and three siblings on February 21. It was separated from its mother and siblings more than a month ago.

Sharma said the initial cause of death appears to be a fight with a leopard. After this incident, there are now 25 leopards in the park - 9 of them adults (6 females and 3 males) and 16 of Indian origin. All other leopards are said to be healthy.

Cheetahs are released in KNP under the Cheetah Rehabilitation Project

Kuno National Park is located on the border of Sheopur and Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh. This park is spread over 748 square kilometers and got the status of national park in 2018.

It is counted among the important wildlife sanctuaries of the country and has been in the international headlines in recent years, especially because of the “Cheetah Rehabilitation Project”. Continuous work is being done in the park to make security, food and natural environment suitable for cheetahs.

Cheetah Conservation Project

Under the Cheetah Conservation Project of the Government of India, foreign cheetahs have been released in Kuno from time to time. On 17 September 2022, a total of 20 cheetahs were brought from Namibia and South Africa - 8 from Namibia and 12 from South Africa. During this period, the number of cheetahs has been increasing and decreasing.

Due to security and environmental reasons, some cheetahs were also shifted to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. The aim of this project is to increase the number of cheetahs in India and revive biodiversity.