India says other African cheetahs are well after 2 deaths
Two of 20 cheetahs have died this year that were brought to India as part of an intercontinental effort to revive these species in the country, according to the government on Monday.
The cheetahs were moved to central India’s Kuno National Park in September and February in the primary phase of the plan to help save the species. The species has disappeared from the country over 70 years ago.
The death of the two cheetahs raise concerns as to whether the plan will work or not, with same raising arguments calling the projects a “vanity project” since those cheetahs are native to Africa and not Asia.
The critically endangered Asiatic cheetah are now only found in Iran. The government said that the female cheetah was a six-year-old, and died in March from chronic renal insufficiency.
While the male cheetah was of unknown age and has contracted acute neuromuscular symptoms in late April and died shortly after.
“The other cheetahs have been closely monitored and none of them has shown any similar symptoms,” the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in a statement.
“They all appear to be perfectly healthy, are hunting for themselves and displaying other natural behaviours,” the ministry added.
According to the ministry, a team of experts from South Africa and India visited the park on the 30th of April and have submitted a report to it on the way ahead.
“It is not surprising that a project of this magnitude and complexity would face many challenges,” the ministry said.
“This is the first intercontinental re-introduction of a wild, large carnivore species and therefore there is no comparable historical precedent.” It added.
