Madhya Pradesh: Sad news comes from Kuno National Park; female cheetah ‘Nabha’ dies; was seriously injured during hunting
Madhya Pradesh: Sad news has come out from Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopuer district. Eight-year-old female cheetah ‘Nabha’ brought from Namibia died on Saturday, July 12. Nabha was injured during hunting about a week ago and her treatment was going on, but she could not be saved.
Nabha's death is a setback to the cheetah rehabilitation project, especially when this ambitious plan is under global monitoring. Now 26 cheetahs are left in Kuno. Among them 9 are adult cheetahs, including 6 female and 3 male. Besides,17 cubs are also the pride of Kuno.
How did Nabha get injured?
According to Uttam Sharma, field director of Kuno Park, Nabha was trying to hunt in her soft release enclosure. During that time she suffered serious injuries. Her left ulna and fibula bones were fractured and there were wounds in other parts of the body as well. She was being provided treatment. However, Nabha's health gradually deteriorated.
The postmortem of the body is being conducted, which will reveal the clear reason behind the death.
Currently, 16 cheetahs are living freely in the open forest, in which predatory instincts have developed. 2 male cheetahs have been transferred to Gandhi Sagar and they are in a favorable condition there.
Medical care and monitoring continues
Even after Nabha's death, special attention is being paid to the monitoring and medical treatment of the remaining cheetahs. The park management has recently given anti-ecto-parasitic medicines to all the cheetahs, so that their health remains better and the possibility of any infection can be prevented. At present, all the other cheetahs are healthy and are roaming normally in the park.
Nabha's death has once again raised questions on this international project. A total of 20 cheetahs were brought from Namibia and South Africa under this cheetah rehabilitation project launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022. But the untimely death of many cheetahs so far has made clear the need for continuous monitoring and re-evaluation of this ambitious plan. Wildlife experts believe that permanent monitoring, behavioral studies and better medical facilities are essential for the success of the project.
Prakash Kumar Pandey