Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): After a leopard killed a sub-adult female cheetah in Kuno National Park on Monday evening, wildlife lovers are worried for the safety of other free range cheetahs moving in open terrains.
However, forest officials of Kuno are of the view that there is no reason to panic as it is a single such incident of its own kind.
They say that even in South Africa (from where the cheetahs have been brought to Kuno) the death percentage of cheetahs due to leopard attacks ranges between 7 to 10 percent.
As per the officials, if the numbers of cheetahs keeps increasing in Kuno, there is no cause of worry even if freak incidents take place.
“The deceased sub-adult cheetah was moving in open range for the past few months. This is an accidental case wherein she died in a leopard attack,” said an official of Kuno.
Sources said that according to the last leopard census, there were around 90 leopards in Kuno. Leopards are the natural competitors of cheetahs and in confrontation, they overpower the latter.
With the death of the sub adult female Cheetah, now Kuno is left with 25 cheetahs, 9 adults and 16 Indian born.
Autopsy performed
The post mortem examination of the deceased sub-adult female cheetah was performed on Tuesday. The autopsy report was awaited when this report was filed. The Kuno officials strongly believe that she was mauled to death by a leopard.
Dheera to be shifted to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary today
To mark the three years of Project Cheetah on Wednesday, a female South African cheetah Dheera will be translocated from the Kuno National Park to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, Mandsaur.
This will further strengthen India’s efforts in conservation and revival of cheetahs. In April, two male cheetahs Prabhash and Pavak were translocated to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary being developed as the next destination for cheetahs.
With the translocation of Dheera, the number of cheetahs will increase to three in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. The Cheetah Steering Committee and state government cleared Dheera’s translocation long ago.
