Bhopal: Jwala Rejects Cub, Tries To Attack It

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The officials at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district are in a bind as female Namibian cheetah Jwala has refused to accept her lone surviving cub. Two efforts made to reunite cub with Jwala have failed.

Once Jwala became so aggressive that she tried to kill the cub. To sort out issue, Kuno administration has roped in a foreign expert named Bart. Sheopur District Forest Officer Prakash Kumar Verma said one more attempt would be made to reunite the cub with Jwala with help of Bart.

The forest officials are unable to make out that why Jwala was behaving in such an aggressive manner. The possibility is that as cub remained away from her for a long duration to undergo treatment, she may have developed dislike for cub.

“We placed cub in a cage in Jwala’s enclosure but she rejected. On one occasion, Jwala became so furious that she charged at the cub to kill it.  The veterinary team immediately removed the cage. Jwala’s aggressive behaviour is strange,” said a Kuno senior official wishing anonymity.

“Now, we have sought help of Bart, an expert in handling cheetahs. Bart reached Kuno from Namibia on Tuesday evening,” he added.

The cub rescued on May 23 after death of other cubs due to extreme heat, is being monitored by veterinarians.

When asked about Jwala’s aggressive behaviour, officer said, “ Big cats sometimes eat their own cubs but this behaviour was rare.”