2 cubs of cheetah 'Nirva' found dead in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park

Two Cheetah cubs were found dead on Wednesday morning in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

According to the official release, based on radio telemetry data, a wildlife monitoring team led by veterinarians inspected the den site of female cheetah 'Nirva'.

They discovered the mutilated bodies of two newborn cubs, with no further cubs found after checking the area.

Nirva remains healthy. Samples from the cubs have been sent for testing, and a postmortem will determine the cause of death.

The remaining cheetahs and 12 cubs are reported to be in good health.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia applauded the achievements made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Cheetah Project' after a female cheetah gave birth to cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Taking to social media X, Scindia wrote in a post, "Good news! There are cries of joy in Kuno National Park once again. Female cheetah Nirva has given birth to her cubs. This success is a major achievement for Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's ambitious 'Cheetah Project'. On this happy occasion, my congratulations and best wishes to the entire team of Kuno administration and forest department."

Project Cheetah was launched to revive the presence of the almost extinct Cheetah in the country.

As part of the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the species, 20 cheetahs were brought to Kuno National Park--eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023. Since their arrival, the project has faced challenges, with eight adult cheetahs--three females and five males--dying.

Despite these setbacks, there has been some success in breeding, with 17 cubs born in India and 12 of them surviving, bringing the current cheetah population in Kuno, including cubs, to 24. All 24 cheetahs are held at Kuno. Not one cheetah is roaming free in the wild even after two years into Project Cheetah.

Authorities have held discussions with other states, including Rajasthan and additional districts in Madhya Pradesh, to ensure coordinated efforts in the rewilding project. The officials said that state authorities have been informed, and preparation has been done.

Beyond Kuno, India has plans to expand the cheetah population to other suitable habitats. Discussions are also underway for introducing cheetahs to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, where preparatory measures are being finalised.