MP: Cheetah Neerva’s two cubs found dead

Bhopal, Nov 27 Two out of four newly borne cheetah cubs were found dead at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP) on Wednesday.

A senior wildlife official told IANS that mutilated carcasses of two cubs borne to an African female cheetah, Neerva, were recovered by forest officials.

On Monday, Neerva, who was brought from South Africa in February 2023, delivered four cubs.

Sources said that the carcasses of cubs were spotted while a team of forest officials were monitoring Neerva’s movements in Boma.

Upon inspection, the team found the mutilated remains of the cubs. “After checking all possible locations inside the Boma, no further cubs were found,” the official added.

The official, however, said the cause of death remains unclear, and the exact reason will known after forensic analysis. The movement of Neerva is being monitored extensively, officials added.

Neerva herself is in good health, and all other adult cheetahs and 12 surviving cubs are reported to be in healthy condition. The investigation into the cubs' deaths is ongoing, with the forest department waiting for lab results to determine the exact cause of their demise.

The birth of the cubs marked a significant moment in India's Cheetah Reintroduction Project, which began in 2022. Cheetahs, once extinct in India, were brought from Namibia and South Africa under the project.

After the birth of cheetah cubs, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav celebrated the event as a major achievement, both for the state and the nation.

Chief Minister in his social media post had declared the number of newly borne cubs as four, however, his post was deleted later.

The first batch of eight cheetahs transported from Namibia was released at Kuno by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of his birthday on September 17, 2022, while the second batch of 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa on February 18, 2023.