India has promised swift actions following the death of a 19-month-old male cheetah, the first cheetah to die since the species' return to the country in 2022. This incident occurred as the Ministry of Environment of India announced that a high-level team has been dispatched to investigate the incident.
Details of the Incident
The male cheetah, born to parents brought from countries such as Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, was shot in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, outside Kuno National Park. The cheetah was found on Sunday due to injuries from the gunshot and was transferred to a veterinary center for treatment. During surgery, five bullets were removed from its body, and unfortunately, the cheetah died on Tuesday. The Ministry of Environment stated that medical examinations confirmed multiple internal injuries related to the removed bullets.
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Background and Importance of the Cheetah Reintroduction Project
Asiatic cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952. This critically endangered subspecies, which once roamed the Middle East, Central Asia, and India, now survives in very small numbers only in Iran. African cheetahs were first brought to Kuno National Park, located about 300 kilometers south of New Delhi, in September 2022. This project, supported by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, has faced significant criticism. Experts say that such reintroductions are typically associated with a mortality rate exceeding 50%, especially in the early stages. However, the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India, which oversees this project, has stated that the survival rate of the cheetahs and success in hunting is comparable to other international cheetah reintroduction efforts.
The wild cheetah population in India is now estimated to be around 60, including about 40 cheetahs born in the country. This highlights the challenges in efforts to return this species to its former habitats and necessitates special attention and effective actions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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