Recent Cheetah deaths due to ‘natural causes’, says govt agency
New Delhi: Amid a series of fatalities among Cheetahs, and concerns that the radio collars on the neck may have led to an infection, 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 which showed initial fatalities post reintroduction of Cheetahs.
A total of eight cheetahs have died this year including five mortalities of adult individuals, and three cubs at the Kuno National Park. “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," said the statement. 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".
The ministry added that in the last 10 months, all stakeholders involved in the project have gained valuable insights in Cheetah management, monitoring and protection. There is
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