Madhya Pradesh: Another cheetah dies in Kuno National Park; Congress blames BJP

Tejas, the cheetah that was transported from South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, succumbed to injuries on Tuesday. There were injury marks on its neck but the reason for that is yet to be determined. A team of wildlife veterans were immediately informed of the injuries at 11 am but by the time they reached the location, the damage was severe. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of injury.

A total of 20 cheetahs have been transported from Africa over the past year. Many concerns have been raised about the project as at least 7 have died just over the last few months. In a paper published in Conservation Science and Practice in April 2023, researchers speculated that due to Kuno National Park’s small area, there is a possibility that the cheetahs might stray beyond their boundaries.

“Cheetahs do best when they feed on freshly caught small to medium-sized prey animals, with access to the full carcass including all the preferred organs that contain essential nutrients required to ensure physiological functionality,” Van der Merwe, of the Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative, South Africa said, as reported by a local newspaper.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Kamal Nath put the onus on the ruling BJP government. He said the system is only serving the corrupt as tribals, women, cheetahs are all in a precarious state.