Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh):The South African Cheetah ‘Uday’ died due to cardiopulmonary failure in Kuno National Park (Sheopur), said the preliminary autopsy report. The carcass of the Cheetah was consigned to flames as per the protocol. The full detailed autopsy report is awaited. Meanwhile, Kuno National Park officials are trying to seek guidance from cheetah experts of South Africa regarding the better care of the Cheetahs.
“ So far, we only know that ‘Uday’ died of cardiopulmonary failure. The exact reason behind the failure of cardiopulmonary is yet to be known. A report regarding the death of the Cheetah is still awaited and would be sent to the Central government,” said a senior officer of the forest department.
As we are not having the expertise in handling the Cheetahs, we are going to seek further guidance from South African cheetah experts, this will help us in providing better care to the cheetahs, he said.
KNP lost six-year-old male feline Uday on Sunday. On March 27, female Namibian cheetah Sasha died due to a kidney ailment at the national park. The two were among the 20 cheetahs translocated from South Africa and Namibia under 'Project Cheetah'. Its death came two days after all cheetahs were given Indian names.
The death of two cheetahs has come as a huge blow to the Kuno’s cheetah project, forcing the authorities to ponder over required steps to prevent cheetah fatality .
When the Cheetah project was taking shape, a government report had pointed at the possibility of fatalities among the translocated cheetahs. It had quoted the study cases of cheetah translocation in which fatalities were reported. The fear seems to be coming true as the death of two cheetahs in Kuno has raised question marks over the abilities of forest officials in taking care of the big cats.
Fix accountability for death of two Cheetahs: Wildlife activist
The death of two cheetahs, one South African and a Namibian, in a span of twenty eight days has raised many questions over officials' efficiency in handling the translocated big cats and now wildlife activities are demanding that accountability be fixed for the death of two Cheetahs.
Talking to Free Press, Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey expressed concern over the health of the translocated cheetahs at Kuno National Park.
Those at the helm of the wildlife affairs are in a confused state over Cheetahs and so it would not be okay to expect them to handle and take better care of the translocated big cats, said the activist.
He sought immediate removal of Chief Conservator of Forest and Field Director of Kuno National Park, Uttam Sharma and District Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar Verma .
Dubey further said when female Cheetah Sasha had died, the forest officials tried to shirk their responsibility saying that the cheetah was already ill when it was brought to Kuno. “The question arises that if the Cheetah was ill then why was it brought by our forest officers,” he asked. “Now, a healthy cheetah has died and if the forest officials again point at some reason for the death and pass the buck then how will the remaining Cheetahs survive,” he further asked.
Cheetah shifting plan for Gandhi Sagar sanctuary !
It is reportedly learnt that PCCF Wild Life JS Chouhan has shot off a missive to union forest ministry and tiger conservation authority, citing the need that if cheetah population increases then as per action plan they should be shifted to some other suitable place such as Gandhi Sagar sanctuary or Nauradehi sanctuary. Currently, Kuno has 18 adult cheetahs and four cubs.
