4 Cheetah Cubs Found Dead in Kuno Park, Probe Underway

Forest officials suspect the cubs may have been killed by a wild predator. The cubs, born on April 11, were about one month old.​

A monitoring team discovered their bodies near the den site during routine tracking in the Sheopur forest area, the Cheetah Field Director at Kuno said while confirming the report.​

It stated that the same team had seen all four cubs alive on Monday evening, making the deaths sudden.​

The Field Director of Project Cheetah, in an official statement on Tuesday, said the cubs' bodies were partially eaten, which suggests an attack by a carnivorous animal.​

"The exact cause of death will be confirmed only after post-mortem reports are received," the statement said.​

It added that the mother, KGP-12, is safe and healthy and remains under close watch by forest staff.​

"Following the incident, surveillance and patrolling in the area have been intensified," the statement read.​

Monitoring teams have also stepped up vigilance around other cheetahs and cubs in the park.​

Forest officials said protecting newborn cubs in the open forest is one of the project's toughest challenges.​

Kuno's habitat also supports leopards, hyenas, and jackals, which pose a threat to young cubs that cannot defend themselves.​

The incident comes a day after Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released two female cheetahs into the wild at Kuno.​

The release was part of efforts to expand the free-ranging cheetah population in the park.​

With the death of the four cubs, Kuno National Park now has 50 cheetahs. Of these, 33 were born in India under the breeding programme.​

Three more cheetahs are currently at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, taking India's total cheetah population to 53.​

India launched Project Cheetah in September 2022 after cheetahs went extinct in the country in 1952.​

The first batch was brought from Namibia, followed by cheetahs from South Africa. Since then, Kuno has seen several litters, marking progress for the project.​

- IANS