Pawan, a male cheetah brought from Namibia in 2022, was released into the wild on July 3, 2023. Pawan was found dead on August 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI
One more cheetah, Pavan, has died, forest officials from Madhya Pradesh confirmed on Tuesday. This is the eighth cheetah, part of the 20 brought from South Africa and Namibia, to have died in India. While cheetahs have died from a variety of causes, the latest is an unusual instance of an animal dying from โdrowningโ.
โ…Male cheetah Pawan was found lying near the edge of a nalah [drain] amidst bushes without any movement. The nalah was running full due to rains. Vets were informed and on closer inspection, it was found that the front half of the body including head was inside the water with no external injuries seen anywhere on the body. Preliminary cause of death seems to be due to drowning,โ a press note from forest officials said.
โGenerally wild cats are good swimmers. So it is unusual to hear of a death from drowning. Weโll need more details,โ a person familiar with the Project Cheetah programme said.
Currently most of the cheetahs are in special enclosures and are expected to be released into the wild from October, with the cessation of the monsoons. Pavan, who is among the cheetahs from Namibia, was the only one of the cheetahs who was released into the wild. All the animals are reportedly under surveillance via radio-collars and their movement tracked.
