What Government Said About 6 Cheetah Deaths In 2 Months

The central government has denied any lapses behind the deaths of six cheetahs - including three cubs - within two months at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh. "There is no lapse behind any of the cheetah deaths. Even in the case of the deaths of the three cheetah cubs, global wildlife literature clearly mentions 90% per cent infant mortality among cheetahs," said an official.

"We haven't done any trials with any of the cheetahs trans-located to KNP from the two African nations. Cheetahs live in a coalition, so even the mating of a female cheetah with a male coalition wasn't done as any trial. It was done based on documented evidence and following clearance from African experts," said CP Goyal, director general of forests.

A female cheetah had died during an aggressive interaction with two male cheetahs.

Union Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav has said that officers and employees involved in cheetah conservation and management will be selected and sent for the study tour to Namibia in South Africa under the Cheetah Project. All possible cooperation including financial resources will be provided by the Central Government for the protection, conservation, promotion, and proposed Cheetah Protection Force.

Mr Yadav had a discussion regarding the Cheetah Project with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state Forest Minister Dr Vijay Shah, and senior officials of the state government in a high-level meeting in Bhopal. He also chaired the 23rd meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) at the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) in Bhopal.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh is a tiger state and it is a matter of prestige. The state government is committed to the success of Project Cheetah, he added.

"Information about the survival rate of birth of cheetah cubs was given at the beginning itself. The entire staff associated with the Cheetah project is working dedicatedly. The progress of the project is satisfactory," Mr Chouhan said.

The Chief Minister also instructed the state forest department that necessary arrangements should be completed on a war footing in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary for alternative habitats for cheetahs.

Since March 27, three adult cheetahs and three cubs (out of the four cubs born in March) have died at the KNP, causing concern about the success of the ambitious project.