Two cubs born to African cheetah Neerva were discovered dead, with their mutilated carcasses recovered from Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district on Wednesday, an official confirmed.
Forest staff monitoring the cheetahs via radio telemetry detected that Neerva had moved away from her den. Upon investigating, they, along with veterinarians, found the mutilated carcasses of the two cubs inside the den.
Following a thorough search of the boma (enclosure), no evidence suggested the presence of additional cubs, the official stated.
“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,” said Project Cheetah Director Uttam Kumar Sharma.
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Samples from the deceased cubs have been sent for analysis to determine the exact cause of death, the official added.
Despite this loss, all adult cheetahs, including Neerva, and the remaining 12 cubs at Kuno National Park are reported to be healthy. The park’s cheetah population currently stands at 24.
Confusion arose earlier regarding the number of cubs Neerva gave birth to. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav initially announced on social media that she had delivered four cubs but later deleted the post, stating the forest department would verify the count.
In an updated post that evening, Yadav wrote, “Today the Cheetah Project has achieved a major milestone. In Cheetah State Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, a female Cheetah Neerva has given birth to cubs. The Forest Department will soon confirm the number of cubs.”
The reintroduction of cheetahs to India began in September 2022 with the arrival of eight Namibian cheetahs—five females and three males—marking the world’s first intercontinental translocation of the species. This initiative came seven decades after cheetahs were declared extinct in India due to hunting and habitat loss. In February 2023, an additional 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa as part of the Centre’s efforts to restore the species to its natural habitat.
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