Shaurya, a Namibian cheetah who had been translocated to Madhya Pradesh in 2022, died during treatment on Tuesday after being spotted with weakness, wildlife officials at Kuno National Park said.

“Around 11 am on January 16, incoordination and staggering gait was observed by the tracking team following which the animal was tranquilised and weakness was found,” the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Director, Lion Project said in a statement.

“The animal was revived but complications arose post revival and the animal failed to respond to CPR. Cause of death can be ascertained after post mortem,” said the statement.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Aseem Shrivastava told The Indian Express the cheetah was part of a male coalition and died inside its enclosure. “Only today did we spot the cheetah with weakness. It was immediately tranquilised by the monitoring team but could not survive during treatment. We are collecting samples to shed more light on its death.”

Shaurya and its brother Gaurav were earlier named Elton and Freddie by music-loving conservationists in Namibia. In Kuno, they earned the moniker, The Rock Stars.

They have in the past been involved in fierce encounters with a South African coalition, Agni and Vayu, known in Kuno as The White Walkers. The Rock Stars had emerged unharmed.

Wildlife officials will now closely watch Gaurav and release it into the wild only when they deem fit. Officials will also be on the lookout for any future confrontations with the rival male coalition.

Shrivastav said, “Agni and Vayu were separated and recently reunited by wildlife officials. Agni recently travelled to Rajasthan’s border. As for Gaurav, it will survive as individual cheetahs have the potential to survive. We will release it into the wild after considering its health condition and other factors.”

Under Project Cheetah, a total of 20 animals were relocated from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in two batches – the first in September last year and the second in February 2022.