Namibia: Two Namibian Cheetahs Left in India

Only two cheetahs of the eight Namibia sent to India in 2022 are still alive, following the death of male cheetah Gaurav in late September.

Namibia sent eight cheetahs, three male and five female, to India as part of Project Cheetah. The project was started to re-introduce the cheetah population to India after 70 years of extinction.

Gaurav was the last Namibian male cheetah in Kuno National Park and died at age 10.

Cheetah Conservation Fund executive director Laurie Marker has confirmed Gaurav’s death to The Namibian.

“I have been informed. This is sad news, but it’s hard living in the wild,” Marker says.

“Our Namibian cheetahs have done very well in re-establishing cheetahs to their historic range in India. There are now 55 cheetahs in India,” she says.

South Africa and Botswana also sent cheetahs to Kuno National Park.

According to Indian media reports, there are 36 cheetahs at the national park that were born in India, including five cheetahs fathered by Gaurav. Of the 51 cheetahs at Kuno, 16 of them live in the wild.

Indian media reports confirm that Gaurav was found weak and dehydrated by park officials. The officials brought the cheetah in for treatment, and confirmed his death on 21 September.

“On examination, he was found to be markedly weak, with visible muscle wasting and severe dehydration. Immediate systemic and supportive treatment was provided, following which he was shifted to Palpur and kept in a quarantine boma for close observation and further management,” a park official told The Economic Times.

By  Namibian.