Two more cheetah cubs die inside Kuno National Park, another rescued

The fatalities take the total number of deaths to six in the past two months. The cubs were found dead in a gasping condition on Tuesday morning

In another setback to Project Cheetah, two more cubs died on Thursday inside Kuno National Park in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. 

Earlier on Tuesday also one of the four cubs born to Namibian Cheetah Jwala had died.

The cubs were found dead in a gasping condition on Tuesday morning. They were reportedly weak and frail from birth, and may not have been getting enough milk from their mother.

Preliminary investigations suggest that malnutrition was a factor in the cubs' deaths. The monitoring team discovered them at the location where they were previously sighted, while one cub was observed moving around with their mother. 

The team promptly alerted veterinarians, who rushed to the scene to administer essential medical care to the ailing cub. The last remaining cub has been rescued and shifted to the hospital for further treatment.

The condition of the fourth cub was stable, but it has been kept under intense treatment , according to an official release.

The forest department further stated that the cubs' frailty was likely a contributing factor, as they had exhibited signs of weakness since their birth.

Formerly known as Siyaya, Cheetah Jwala was brought to India from Namibia in September 2022. She had given birth to four cubs during the last week of March this year.

The fatalities take the total number of deaths to six in the past two months. 

70 years after the extinction of cheetah, the felines were reintroduced in India last year, On March 27, one of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, died due to a kidney-related ailment. Another cheetah, Uday, from South Africa, died on April 13. A South- African cheetah, Daksha, succumbed to the injuries following a violent interaction with a male during  in May 9 this year.