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The cheetahs were relocated to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh last year. South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) said on Thursday that the death of two cheetahs in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, was within expected mortality rates for a project of this nature. In a statement issued by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), South Africa said: "The cheetah has joined eight of the mammals relocated to India's Kuno National Park from Namibia in September 2022. The two deaths of cheetahs (one from Namibia and one from South Africa) observed to date are within the expected mortality rates for a project of this nature”.
The cheetahs were relocated to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, as part of an initiative to expand the cheetah metapopulation and reintroduce them to a former range state.
The press release further states: “Reintroductions of large carnivores are extremely complex and inherently risky operations. This is a critical phase of the project, as the cheetahs are released into larger environments where there is less and less control over their daily well-being.
According to the statement, the risks of injury and mortality will increase, and these risks are taken into account in the reintroduction plan.
"The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) is awaiting a diagnosis (an autopsy) for the death of the cheetah, but there is no indication that it was a form of infectious disease or that there is a similar threat to any from the other cheetahs,' the South African government said in a statement.
The statement further adds: "All South African cheetahs are in larger enclosures and are closely monitored twice daily. As these are wild cheetahs, their behaviour, movement and body condition must be assessed remotely, limiting the ability of the teams on the field. have accurate knowledge of your state of health.
"The remaining eleven South African cheetahs will be released to roam free for the next two months. Kuno is an unfenced protected area that is home to a high density of competing predators, including leopards, wolves, sloth bears and striped hyenas. It is anticipated that, as observed with cheetah reintroductions to Africa, part of the founding population may be lost within the first year of release," the statement read.
The statement adds: "Many released cheetahs will escape the boundaries of Kuno National Park and may experience short-term stress during the recapture process. Once cheetahs establish ranges, the situation will improve and stabilize."
Uday, a six-year-old cheetah who was brought to India from South Africa, apparently died on April 23.
Earlier, on March 27, five-year-old Sasha, one of eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia, died of kidney failure after being diagnosed with a kidney infection in January.
Earlier this year, the South African and Indian governments signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for the reintroduction of the cheetah in India.
The MoU facilitates cooperation between the two countries to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India; promotes conservation and ensures that knowledge is shared and exchanged and capacity is built to promote cheetah conservation. This includes human-wildlife conflict resolution, wildlife capture and transfer, and community engagement in conservation in both countries.
