A third cheetah, a female called Daksha, at the Kuno National Park (KNP), in Madhya Pradesh, has died after it was injured by one of its number. Two other animals, Sasha and Uday died in February and April respectively. Daksha’s death brings the total number of adult cheetahs to 17. One of the animals has, produced a litter of four cubs, all of whom are reportedly well.
Since September 2022, 20 animals –eight from Namibia and twelve from South Africa – have been translocated from Africa to restore cheetahs in the Indian wilderness. The population has been extinct since 1952. All the animals are radio-collared and tracked by Madhya Pradesh state wildlife officials. The animals, as part of an acclimatising process, live in specially designed enclosures that allow them to hunt, while being relatively safe. Only three animals are outside the enclosure and live in the forest.
Listen: The problem of space for India’s translocated Cheetahs | In Focus podcast
