Forest officials said the cause of the cub’s death is yet to be ascertained. At present, the number of adult cheetahs stands at 17 and cubs at 3
A cheetah cub born at Kuno National Park (KNP) about two months ago, died on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The cub was part of a four-cub litter that was born to three-year-old female Jwala.
The latest fatality took the death toll of cheetahs in KNP to four in the last 2 months, including three adult cheetahs translocated to India in September 2022 and February 2023.
Forest officials said the cause of the cub’s death is yet to be ascertained. At present, the number of adult cheetahs stands at 17 and cubs at 3.
According to Wildlife Warden JS Chauhan, Jwala was found with her dead cub around 7 am on May 23. Video footage showed that three of her cubs walked with her while the fourth continued to lie on the ground. Chauhan added that the monitoring team took a close look and found that the cub had tried to raise its head.
“A team of veterinarians were rushed to the spot. But the cub died during the course of treatment. Prima facie it appears that the cub was in a weak health condition. It was the smallest, least active and most lethargic compared to the other three,” Chauhan said.
The official statement that followed stated: “The death of the cub should be perceived with the lens of ‘survival of the fittest’. In Africa, the survival rate of newborn cheetahs is very less. Experts estimate that only 10 per cent of cubs survive. This means that in a natural environment, only one of every 10 cubs born will survive. Compared with other cat species, the cheetah has the highest birth rates.”
According to officials, the cub was also found to have consumed less milk compared to the others and its survival had been a cause of increasing concern among officials.
In March, Namibian cheetah Sasha was reported dead following renal failure while on April 24, Uday died of cardiac failure. Earlier this month, a female cheetah, Daksha, was found dead by officials while mating with two male cheetahs on May 9.
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