SC expresses concern on death of cheetahs housed at MP's Kuno reserve

Expressing concern over the deaths of cheetahs introduced to the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, the Supreme Court on Thursday (July 20) asked the Centre about the reason behind keeping them together when they could have been kept separately. The apex court also noted that the death of eight big cats out of 20 within a year is alarming. 

In response to the Supreme Court observation, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati said that nearly 40 per cent of the cheetahs relocated to KNP from Namibia and South Africa have died in the last one year. "During the resettlement of cheetahs, up to 50 per cent mortality is considered normal. This was anticipated in the beginning," the ASG added. 

While adding that Project Cheetah is prestigious for the country, the ASG said, "There are a lot of problems. Detailed analysis of each death is being carried out and our status report will have all that. Then this court may decide on further directions."

Centre's ambitious 'Project Cheetah' 

The Government of India launched the ambitious scheme of reintroducing cheetahs into the wild. The first deck consisting of eight big cats from Namibia entered the country on September 17, 2022. Out of the eight, 5 were female and three males. The second batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa arrived in India on February 18, 2023. 

The Kuno Palpur National Park, where eight cheetahs from Namibia and 12 cheetahs from South Africa were introduced, is located south of the Morena district. Until now, eight cheetahs, including three cubs born in March 2023, have died.

Responding to the frequent deaths of big cats, the government in an official statement said, "For investigating the cause of cheetah deaths, consultation with international cheetah experts/ veterinary doctors from South Africa and Namibia is being done on a regular basis."

"Further, the existing monitoring protocols, protection status, managerial inputs, veterinary facilities, training and capacity-building aspects are being reviewed by independent national experts. The Cheetah Project Steering Committee is closely monitoring the project and has expressed satisfaction with its implementation so far," it added.