Namibian cheetah Gaurav dies during treatment at Kuno National Park
A 10-year-old Namibian cheetah, Gaurav, died at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on Monday while undergoing treatment, days after it was rescued from the wild in a weak and dehydrated condition.
Gaurav was rescued on September 12 after park authorities observed that he was weak and dull.
"On examination, he was found to be markedly weak, with visible muscle wasting and severe dehydration," the field director of the Cheetah Project said.
The cheetah was immediately provided systemic and supportive treatment and shifted to Palpur, where it was kept in a quarantine boma for close observation and further management.
A preliminary clinical examination indicated the possibility of an underlying chronic condition, officials said, without specifying what the condition was.
Despite continued treatment and supportive care, Gaurav's condition deteriorated and he died at around 4 pm on Monday, the official said.
The exact cause of death will be ascertained after a post-mortem examination and analysis of samples collected from the animal. Further details will be available once the reports are received.
Gaurav was among the first batch of eight adult cheetahs brought from Namibia to India and released at Kuno on September 17, 2022, as part of the country's cheetah reintroduction programme.
His death came days after the programme completed four years since the first cheetahs were brought back to India. It also followed the birth of four cubs at Kuno to an Indian-born female cheetah earlier this month.
With Gaurav's death, Kuno National Park now has 51 cheetahs, including 36 born in India, according to the Cheetah Project authorities.
Of the 51 cheetahs at Kuno, 16 are currently ranging freely in the wild.
Another four cheetahs are housed at Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, taking the total cheetah population in India to 55.
The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952, and the reintroduction programme was launched in 2022 with the translocation of animals from Namibia, followed by subsequent batches from other African countries.
