X

Two male cheetahs make their first kill at Kuno National Park within 24 hours of being released

After being confined in the smaller cage for around fifty days, Freddie and Elton became the first couple to be released into the bigger enclosure.

Two male cheetahs make their first kill at Kuno National Park within 24 hours of being released
Screen Grab

Within twenty-four hours of their release from quarantine, the two male cheetah siblings in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh had already made their first kill in the bigger cage. Officials from the forest service said the cheetahs killed a cheetal or spotted deer at some point between Sunday evening and Monday morning, according to PTI.
 
After being isolated from September 17 to November 5, the cheetahs Freddie and Elton were allowed into the bigger cage.
 
On November 5, they were transferred from their temporary quarantine areas to an acclimatisation cage before being prepared for release into the wild. The prime minister had said yesterday that the cheetahs were doing OK.
 
"Great news! Am told that after the mandatory quarantine, 2 cheetahs have been released to a bigger enclosure for further adaptation to the Kuno habitat. Others will be released soon. I'm also glad to know that all cheetahs are healthy, active and adjusting well," Prime Minister Modi tweeted alongside a video of the two wild cats.
 
Quarantine for wild animals is recommended as standard practise before and after they are transported internationally to prevent the transmission of disease.

A member of the Centre's task group on the big cats told PTI that the cheetahs are now being kept in six enclosures and fed buffalo meat.

Also, READ: 5th Vande Bharat Express train, first in South India, to start services from November 11

On September 17, during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wild cats were reintroduced to Kuno National Park as part of the ambitious "Project Cheetah," marking the return of the big cats to India seven decades after their local extinction.

Freddy, Alton, Savannah, Sasha, Obaan, Asha, Cibili, and Saisa are the names of eight cheetahs who were progressively transported to India from Namibia. Their ages range from 30 months to 66 months. Five of the cheetahs are female, while three of them are male.