Cheetah Deaths At Kuno: Govt Takes Responsibility

New Delhi: Eyebrows have been raised over three African cheetahs and as many cubs dying at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park in three months.

On Thursday, the Union government owned responsibility for the multiple deaths.

“We take responsibility for whatever happened,” Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said.

He, however, asserted that the translocation project will be a major success, reported PTI.

The first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno on September 17 last year. Five months later, a second group of 12 cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released into Kuno on February 18.

Three cheetahs died in March and April, while 7 of the 17 remaining adult cheetahs have already been released into the wild.

Three of the four cubs born to the female Namibian cheetah Sisaya didn’t survive either.

Several experts have raised doubts over the suitability of habitat and wildlife management vis-à-vis the African cheetahs.

“It’s an international project and we had anticipated mortality. It’s mentioned in our report too (cheetah introduction action plan). One of the cheetahs was unwell before it even came to India. We have provided the reasons for the deaths of the two other (adult) cheetahs,” the Union minister said at Times Network’s conclave.

“The three cubs died due to extreme heat. The temperature soared to 47 degrees Celsius… We take responsibility for whatever happened. However, the project will be a major success and the whole country will be proud of it,” Yadav added.

The Centre has set up an 11-member high-level steering committee to review and monitor the progress of the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

The government and experts have said that the mortalities are within the normal range. As per the action plan for cheetah reintroduction, 50% mortality was anticipated in the first year of relocation.