On Friday morning, a cheetah was found dead in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, bringing the species’ four-month death count to eight. An African cheetah named Suraj was discovered dead early on Friday in Kuno National Park.
Cheeta Suraj was discovered dead in Kuno National Park, dealing yet another blow to India’s ambitious plan to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild. The sub-adult male has wounds resembling those acquired by Tejas, a cheetah that passed away three days ago in a mysterious manner.
Tejas is believed to have died of a ‘traumatic shock’ after a violent fight with a female. Officials are now waiting for the postmortem report to learn Suraj’s exact cause of death.
The frequent deaths of exotic animals in Kuno National Park raise questions about their welfare and the effectiveness of conservation initiatives. In order to assure the safety and survival of these endangered species, Project Tiger’s plan to reintroduce cheetahs into the Indian wilderness is now the subject of increased scrutiny and urgent re-evaluation.
Conservationists are concerned about the execution and future of the historic wildlife reintroduction project in light of the eight deaths in the last four months, including three of the four cubs born in March.
While the government claim that animals had become extinct in India seven decades ago are being restored to their natural habitat, others have disagreed.
