Two more cheetah cubs die at Kuno National Park, health of another deteriorating

Two more cubs born to Namibian female cheetah Siyaya aka Jwala at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park have died, taking the toll of newly-born cubs to three, the state Forest Department said in a statement on Thursday, May 25. In the statement, the Forest Department said after the death of the first cub on May 23, the remaining three cubs were kept under close monitoring of veterinarians at Palpur.

“After afternoon hours (on May 23), the health condition of the remaining three cubs was not good. Veterinarians tried their best, however, two of them could not be saved and they died. The health of the fourth cub has also deteriorated and it is being treated by a team of veterinarians at Palpur,” it said.

The Forest Department further stated that all cubs were found weak, had low weight, and suffered from high dehydration. “Namibian female cheetah Jwala is a hand-reared feline and was pregnant for the very first time. All four newly-born cubs had started walking with their mother, but three of them died,” the department added. The latest fatality took the death toll of cheetahs in KNP to six in the last two months, including three felines translocated from African countries. A total 20 cheetahs were translocated to India in two phases — eight from Namibia on September 17, 2022, and 12 from South Africa on February 18 this year.

Cheetah Jwala, earlier known as Siyaya, was brought from Namibia to KNP in Sheopur district in September 2022. She gave birth to the four cubs in the last week of March this year.