Namibian cheetahdies at Kuno due to ‘drowning’

The only free-ranging cheetah at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has died, officials said on Tuesday, suspecting that the six-year-old cheetah, Pawan, drowned.

Updated on: Aug 28, 2024, 07:00:09 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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The only free-ranging cheetah at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has died, officials said on Tuesday, suspecting that the six-year-old cheetah, Pawan, drowned.

Namibian cheetahdies at Kuno due to ‘drowning’

Pawan, the Namibian cheetah initially named Oban, was found near the edge of a swollen stream at around 10.30am on Tuesday.

A forest department official said, “His location was being traced regularly. The tracking team on Tuesday got alerted when he was not seen moving. The team found him dead.”

“The preliminary cause of death seems to be drowning. Further details will be provided once the post-mortem report is received,” said Uttam Sharma, field director Kuno National Park.

Veterinarians were informed, and a close inspection disclosed that the front half of the cheetah’s carcass, including the head, was inside the water, Sharma said. No external injuries were seen on his body, he said.

This is the second cheetah death this month. On August 5, a cub born to Gamini died in the enclosure. So far, eight cheetahs and five cubs have died in Kuno since they were brought there in two tranches on September 17, 2022 and in February 2023. Now, the park has 24 cheetahs, including 12 adults and as many cubs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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