After the death of three cheetahs and three cubs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park in three months, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said, ‘We take responsibility for whatever happened.’
However, it was also emphasized that the project of relocation of cheetahs would prove to be successful.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released 8 cheetahs brought from Namibia on 17 September last year in an enclosure located in Kuno, Madhya Pradesh. In the second such transfer, 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa and released in Kuno on 18 February.
Three cheetahs died in March 2023 and April 2023. Of the remaining 17 adult cheetahs, 7 have already been released into the wild.
The deaths of three cheetahs and three of four cubs born to a Namibian female cheetah, Sisaya, have led many experts to question the suitability of the habitat and wildlife management.
‘The death of cheetahs was predicted’
Answering a question in an English media program, Bhupendra Yadav said, ‘This is an international project and we were expected to die. It has also been mentioned in our report (Cheetah Project). A cheetah was already unwell before coming to India. We have given reasons for the death of two other (adult) cheetahs.’
He said, ‘All the three cubs died due to extreme heat. The temperature rose up to 47 degree Celsius. We take responsibility for whatever happened. However, the project will prove to be a huge success and the entire country will be proud of it.’
‘Death rate within normal limits’
After news about the death of two cheetah cubs surfaced last week, the Center constituted an 11-member high-level committee to review and monitor the progress of Project Cheetah. The government and experts involved in the project have said that the death rate is within normal limits. The committee met for the first time on Wednesday and decided to release seven more cheetahs, including two females, into the wild by the third week of June.
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