Two cubs born to African cheetah Neerva found dead at Kuno; mutilated carcasses recovered

Two cheetah cubs found dead at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, prompting investigation into cause of death.

Two cubs born to African cheetah Neerva were found dead at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday (November 27, 2024), an official said.

A team of forest staffers monitoring the movement of cheetahs received signals through radio telemetry that Neerva was away from her den, following which they, along with veterinarians, rushed to the spot and found the mutilated carcasses of the two cubs inside, he said.

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After inspecting all possible places inside the boma (enclosure), they concluded that no more cheetah cubs were there, the official said.

“No other cheetah cubs were found inside the boma during the inspection, which reflects that Neerva gave birth to only two cubs. The carcasses of the two newborns will be cremated on Thursday as per norms,” Project Cheetah director Uttam Kumar Sharma said.

The samples from the dead cubs were sent for examination to ascertain the cause of their death, the official said.

All adult cheetahs, including Neerva, and the rest of the 12 cubs at the Kuno park are healthy, the official said. The count of cheetahs at KNP was last reported to be 24.