One more Namibian cheetah, Pavan, has died in Kuno National Park.
Forest officials from Madhya Pradesh confirmed this on Tuesday.
This is the eighth cheetah of 20 brought from South Africa and Namibia to have died in India.
While cheetahs have died from a variety of causes, the latest is an unusual instance of an animal dying from ‘drowning’.
Male cheetah Pavan was found lying near the edge of a nalah (drain) amid bushes without moving.
The drain was running full due to rains. Vets were informed, and on closer inspection it was found that the front half of Pavan’s body, including his head, was inside the water with no external injuries.
“The preliminary cause of death seems to be drowning,” a press note from forest officials said.
“Wild cats are generally good swimmers. So it is unusual to hear of a death from drowning. We’ll need more details,” a person familiar with the Project Cheetah programme said.
Currently most of the cheetahs are in special enclosures and are expected to be released into the wild from October with the cessation of the monsoons.
Pavan was the only one of the Namibian cheetahs who was released into the wild.
All the animals are reportedly tracked via radio collars. – Hindustan Times
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