Gwalior: Amid the alarming deaths of cheetahs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav has blamed “change in the weather conditions” during the translocation of the big cats from Africa to the KNP. “This is the first year of translocation of the cheetahs. Our teams are working on the impact of the weather condition. Our officials are in constant touch with experts from Namibia and South Africa,” Yadav said.
The union Forest Minister stated that “complete seriousness” is being given for the project and “our officials are also continuously engaged seriously and worrying about it”. “We want this project to be a complete success,” he added. Yadav said that “due to monsoon, infection has spread in cheetahs, due to which two cheetahs have died” at the KNP.
Also read: Cheetah mortality concerning, yet not alarming: Centre tells SC
He said that the incidents have been shared with the experts of Namibia and South Africa from where the cheetahs have been translocated. The statement by the union forest minister comes days after the 9th cheetah died at the KNP in Madhya Pradesh raising questions over the project cheetah launched by the BJP led government at the Centre.
The cheetahs include six adult cheetahs and three cubs. The latest cheetah-Tiblisi – aka Dhatri, a female brought to Kuno from Namibia – was found dead on the morning of August 2 as per a spokesperson at the Kuno National Park. It can be recalled as part of the government;s Project Cheetah, 20 African cheetahs were translocated from Namibia and South Africa in September last and February this year.
