Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh): A day after Cheetah Daksha died in Sheopur-based Kuno National Park, former CM of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav, has slammed the BJP government over back-to-back deaths of South African Cheetahs.
Taking to Twitter, Yadav wrote ,"The death of the third Cheetah in Kuno is an administrative murder. The BJP party, which was formed only for political demonstration, also had the responsibility to provide a safe environment to foreign cheetahs free from diseases and mutual conflicts. This is a clear case of cruelty to animals, punitive action should be taken in this matter."
Notably, Cheetah Daksha died on Wednesday due to aggressive intercourse by a male Cheetah.
The former Chief Minister pointed out that the deaths of Daksha, as well as two other cheetahs named Uday and Sasha, raised serious questions about the management's competence in safeguarding the cheetahs.
The decision regarding the breeding of the cheetahs was made during a meeting held on April 30 and was attended by prominent figures in the field of wildlife conservation. Inspector General of National Tiger Conservation Authority, Dr. Amit Mallick, Dr. Qamar Qureshi from the Wildlife Institute of India, and experts such as Prof. Adrian Tordif and Vincent van der Maarw from the Cheetah Meta Population Initiative of South Africa were among the attendees.
The meeting concluded with the decision to introduce the Cheetah male coalition, Agni and Vayu, brought from South Africa, to mate with female Cheetah Daksha, who was housed in enclosure number seven.
However, the situation took a tragic turn when veterinarians discovered Daksha in an injured state inside the enclosure. The gate between enclosure number seven and one had been opened on May 1, and the Cheetah male coalition had entered on May 6. The precise cause of the female cheetah's injuries and subsequent death is currently under investigation.
The untimely demise of Daksha has sparked concerns about the overall management practices within Kuno National Park. The call for a thorough investigation by Akhilesh Yadav and the growing public outcry underline the need for accountability and the preservation of wildlife in protected areas.
