Namibian cheetah dies of injuries in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno, total count now down to 26

An eight-year-old female cheetah named Nabha, brought from Namibia under India's ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme, died of injuries at Kuno National Park (KNP) on Saturday, taking the total number of cheetahs in the park down to 26. The death was confirmed by project authorities.

“Nabha was badly injured a week back, probably during a hunting attempt inside her soft release enclosure. She had fractures in both ulna and fibula on the left side along with other injuries,” Cheetah Project Field Director Uttam Sharma said in a statement, as reported by PTI.

She had been under treatment for the past week but succumbed to her injuries on Saturday. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after a post-mortem examination, officials said.

Nabha was among the cheetahs translocated from Namibia in 2022 as part of India’s efforts to reintroduce the species seven decades after it was declared extinct in the wild.

With Nabha’s death, Kuno now has 26 cheetahs left—nine adults (six females and three males) and 17 cubs born within the park. "All are healthy and doing well," Sharma said. He added that two male cheetahs relocated to Gandhisagar from Kuno are also in good health.

Of the 26 cheetahs currently in Kuno, 16 are roaming freely in the wild. According to Sharma, “They have adapted well to the habitat, have learned to live with co-predators, and are regularly hunting.”

He also noted that a round of anti-ecto-parasitic treatment was recently completed for all cheetahs.

Sharma further confirmed that two mothers, Veera and Nirva, along with their recently born cubs, are also healthy and stable.

Nabha’s death adds to the list of casualties that have dogged the high-profile conservation initiative since its launch. The project continues to face scrutiny from experts and conservationists over issues of habitat suitability, management, and long-term sustainability.

(With inputs from PTI)