Cheetah Jwala's two more cubs succumb to extreme heat, 3 days after first one died at Kuno National Park
2 min read 25 May 2023, 04:44 PM ISTThe latest fatality took the death toll of cheetahs in Kuno National Park to five in the last two months, including three felines translocated from African countries.
PremiumIn Kuno National Park, yet another tragedy, another two cubs of Cheetah Jwala died during monitoring at Palpur, where they were shifted from Kuno National park, after their health deteriorated due to extreme heat. This is the second and third death among the four cubs of Cheetah Jwala. Her first cub died on 23 May. Cheetah Jwala now has only one alive cub from her litter of four.
The latest fatality took the death toll of cheetahs in Kuno National Park to six in the last two months, including three felines translocated from African countries.
The official statement released by the Forest Department states that after the death of one cub on Tuesday, the remaining 3 cubs and the female cheetah Jwala were sent to wildlife doctors posted in Palpur.
Continuous monitoring was done throughout the day by the monitoring team. Supplemental food was also provided to Cheetah Jwala.
It added that on 23 May, the remaining three cubs of Cheetah Jwala did not seem normal. Notably the temperature in that place was 46-47 degree Celsius at that point.
The official press release also added that the cubs had to be shifted to critical care for treatment when ‘loo’ like wind and rising temperatures caused their conditions to worsen. Two cub of Cheetah Jwala could be saved, one could not, the release stated.
The other cub's death was also attributed to weakness. “The monitoring team found that one of the four cubs of feline ‘Jwala’ was lying at the spot where they were spotted earlier while three other cubs were roaming with their mother.
The team alerted veterinarians who rushed to the spot and gave necessary treatment to the cub, but it died," the release said.
It seems the cub died because of weakness as it was weak since birth, said the release.
Cheetah Jwala, earlier known as Siyaya, was brought from Namibia to KNP in Sheopur district in September 2022. She gave birth to four cubs in the last week of March this year.
Cheetahs were reintroduced in India, 70 years after the species was declared extinct.
One of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, succumbed to a kidney-related ailment on March 27, while another cheetah, Uday, from South Africa, died on April 13.
Daksha, a cheetah brought from South Africa, died of injuries following a violent interaction with a male during a mating attempt on May 9.
Siyaya’s four cubs were born in the wild on Indian soil after the last cheetah was hunted in the Korea district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947.
This fastest land animal was declared extinct in the country in 1952.
The relocation of cheetahs from Africa is part of an ambitious plan to revive their population in India.
Eight Namibian cheetahs – five female and three male – were released into enclosures at the KNP on September 17 last year at an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In February this year, 12 more cheetahs arrived at KNP from South Africa.
Of the 24 cheetahs, including four cubs born in India, KN
