In today’s news story, we take a look at India’s ambitious project to reintroduce cheetahs. Unfortunately, their plan has hit yet another major setback, as a second cheetah from Africa died in less than a month.
Second cheetah death in Kuno National Park
The six-year-old male cheetah, named Uday by Indian citizens, died at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh state, according to Indian officials.
This comes as a big blow to the Indian government’s plan to reintroduce the big cats in the country, which had declared them officially extinct over 70 years ago. Sasha, a female cheetah, had died just weeks earlier due to a suspected kidney ailment.
The cheetahs were brought to India from South Africa and Namibia as part of an intercontinental effort to revive the animal’s population in the country.
The Indian government had airlifted a total of 20 cheetahs over the past few months, with plans to introduce 50 big cats over the next five years. However, experts have raised concerns about potential risks to the animals from other predators and lack of prey.
Investigation into the causes of the cheetah deaths
Losses are expected during the process of reintroduction, but the unexpected deaths of these cheetahs have dealt a blow to India’s efforts to bring back the fastest cat in the world.
Cheetahs hold great symbolic value in India as they are part of many folktales, but they were eliminated through hunting, diminishing habitats, and non-availability of enough prey during British rule.
Although the overall cheetah population has grown due to the birth of four cubs, the sad news of the recent deaths of Uday and Sasha is a reminder of the challenges involved in re-establishing the animal’s population in India.
Wildlife experts have emphasized the importance of considering the big picture, as losses are expected while dealing with populations.
India’s cheetah reintroduction project may need to overcome significant challenges to reach its goal of restoring the animal’s population in the country.
We hope you found today’s story interesting and encourage you to share it on social media to spread the word on projects such as these to reintroduce these big cats to India.
If you want more like this, why not look at some of our rescue stories? Desperate ‘Unicorn Dog’ with head and stomach injuries faces euthanasia
