3 of 4 cheetah cubs born in India 70 years after extinction die

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – Three out of the four cubs born in March to one of the eight cheetahs relocated from Namibia to India have died, officials said on Thursday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Jasbir Singh Chouhan, a top wildlife official in Madhya Pradesh state said the causes of the cubs’ deaths on Tuesday are multiple.

"They were eight-week-old and underweight as well. The high temperatures, dehydration, and exposure to the sun" were some of the causes leading to the cubs’ death, he said, adding the temperature in the region reached around 47 degrees Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) this week.

"The fourth cub is stable and under treatment," he said, adding they are in touch with cheetah experts in Namibia and South Africa.

In March this year, India announced the birth of four cubs to one of the eight cheetahs that were relocated from Namibia.

In September last year, the fastest terrestrial animal was reintroduced into India, 70 years after it was formally declared extinct in 1952 due to massive hunting and poaching.

Eight large cats from Namibia and 12 from South Africa have been so far shifted to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, their new sanctuary.

Out of 20 cheetahs, three have died so far.

Earlier this month, a female cheetah called Daksha died at the Kuno National Park after it was injured by one of the big cats. Two more cheetahs, Sasha and Uday, died in February and April respectively, due to illness.

While the government is confident that the translocation of cheetahs will be successful, many experts in the country have expressed skepticism about the government’s ambitious project to reintroduce them into Indian forests.