Cheetah deaths: ‘40% fatalities within a year don't reflect a…’, SC seeks Centre's response

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cheetahs deaths at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. It said that 40% of deaths within a year do not reflect a good picture, according to a report published by Hindustan Times.  The Centre has agreed to file its response on the matter and the next hearing will take place on August 1.  A total of eight cheetahs have died this year including five mortalities of adult individuals, and three cubs at the Kuno National Park.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has said that all the deaths have been caused due to natural causes. In a statement on Sunday, the ministry of environment, forest, and climate also cited experiences in Africa that showed initial fatalities post-reintroduction of Cheetahs.

“Of the 20 translocated Cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia, five mortalities of adult individuals have been reported from Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, till date. As per the preliminary analysis by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex body entrusted with the implementation of Project Cheetah, all mortalities are due to natural causes," the statement read.  Citing media reports attributing the deaths to several reasons including their radio collars, the statement said: “Such reports are not based on any scientific evidence but are speculation and hearsay." Further, as the series of deaths have raised questions over the suitability and adaptability of cheetahs in India and many raising doubts over the effectiveness of ‘Project Cheetah’, the environment ministry in its statement said that ‘Project Cheetah’ is yet to complete a year and it will be “premature to conclude the outcome in terms of success and failure, since Cheetah reintroduction is a long-term project".