In September 2022, Pawan was flown to India along with seven other animals in the country's first transcontinental transfer of carnivores. (News 18)
Of the 20 adult cheetahs transferred to India, eight have died so far. The Project Cheetah Steering Committee recently decided to release the remaining cheetahs after the monsoon
The recent death of a lone free-ranging cheetah in Kuno National Park has raised questions about the imminent release of the remaining cats. Pawan (Oban), the Namibian cat who had been living in the wild since December 2023, was found dead on Tuesday, just as the forest department was preparing to release the remaining cats back into the wild after a long stay in captivity.
Since July 2023, only 12 of the 20 African cheetahs remain – five males and seven females – all of which are confined to large enclosures set up in the park. , apart from three female cats and their 12 cubs will also be released after the monsoon season ends.
But the decision worries wildlife experts, who question whether the animals are still suitable for release into the wild after a year in captivity. The forest department said in a statement that they found the Namibian male cheetah lying motionless near the edge of Nala in the bush at around 10.30am on Tuesday. Due to the rain, the Nala water was full.
“The veterinarian was notified and after careful inspection, it was found that the front half of its body, including its head, was in the water. There were no external injuries anywhere on the body. The primary cause of death seemed to be drowning.
The exact cause of death will be known after an autopsy.
In September 2022, Pawan was flown to India along with seven other animals in the country's first transcontinental transfer of carnivores. Seven-year-old Pawan (Oban) was the first to venture nearly 200 kilometers away, well beyond the national park boundaries, and has been recaptured several times in the past.
She was released in December 2023 and remained the only solitary cheetah until this summer, when the forest department released another female cheetah, the South African cat Veera. But officials said the female cat was captured again and returned to the boma enclosure, which ranges in size from 153 hectares to about 50 hectares.
To date, no cheetahs have died due to conflicts with other wild predators such as leopards. This is the second adult cheetah to die this year after the Namibian tomcat Freddy (Shaurya) collapsed earlier this year.
