• Source:JND
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The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the petition on the Kuno Cheetah death case and said that it was satisfied with the explanation of the central government that the Cheetahs have low survival rates and there was nothing ‘alarming’ in the deaths of cheetahs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

However, the apex court asked the Centre to address the ‘public concern’ regarding the deaths of six of the 20 adult cheetahs which were imported from South Africa and Namibia at the Kuno National Park (KNP).

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The apex court’s remarks came following a petition on the deaths of cheetahs at Kuno this year. Three cubs were among the nine cheetahs which reportedly died in Madhya Pradesh. The Kuno National Park witnessed the reintroduction of 20 adult cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa in September last year.

However, the government said that six cheetahs died and the deaths were not caused by any inherent unsuitability at the national park. The expert committee which filed the petition alleged that the deaths of cheetahs at the Kuno site were due to the poor condition of the Safari park and the government’s lack of efforts in protecting the lives of cheetahs.

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The government in response said that it is taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the cheetahs. It also stated that this is the first year since the cheetahs have been translocated (from Namibia and South Africa in September 2022 and February this year, respectively), and added that continuous work is going on regarding the weather conditions and their effects.

The death of cheetahs at the Kuno site was a blow to the Madhya Pradesh government's ambitious Cheetah Conservation Project. The programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.