Namibian Cheetah Elton Dies At Kuno, India’s Cheetah Count Drops To 55
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a major setback to Project Cheetah, Namibian cheetah ‘Elton’, which was later renamed ‘Gaurav’, died at around 4 pm in Kuno National Park on Monday. It was detected with chronic health condition. With this, the total number of cheetahs in India declined to 55. Now, Kuno National Park is left with 51 cheetahs, including 36 Indian-born cheetahs. Out of this, 16 cheetahs…
The Namibian cheetah 'Elton', also known as 'Gaurav', passed away on Monday at around 4 pm in Kuno National Park, India. The decline in India's cheetah population has now reached 55. Kuno National Park currently houses 51 cheetahs, with 36 born in India. Out of these, 16 are wandering freely in the wild. Four cheetahs reside in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
Elton was rescued from the wild on September 12 due to his weak and dull condition. Upon examination, he exhibited severe muscle wasting and dehydration. After receiving immediate treatment, he was moved to Palpur and kept under observation in a quarantine enclosure. Preliminary clinical evaluations suggested an underlying chronic condition.
Despite ongoing treatment, Elton's health continued to decline and he died on Monday. The exact cause of death will be determined following a post-mortem examination and analysis of collected samples.
Field director Uttam Sharma initially suggested that Elton's death was due to age-related issues. However, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey claimed that the cheetah's demise was reported late to avoid overshadowing the project's four-year anniversary, Prime Minister's birthday, and the arrival of a female cheetah in Gandhi Sagar. Dubey demanded an independent investigation into the entire case and accused field director Uttar Kumar Sharma of concealing information about the cheetahs.
Written by urgent.news from Free Press Journal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
