With Cheetahs being subjected to infection at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Two cheetahs were treated for their infection after removal of their radio collars, as reported by the wildlife officials.

The two cheetahs are among six free-ranging cheetahs that have been brought back to their enclosures as part of a prevention plan following the death of two cheetahs on July 11 and 14.

Wildlife officials said they removed the radio collars of six cheetahs — Pavak, Aasha, Dheera, Pavan, Gaurav and Shaurya — and also examined them for medical conditions.

“Some cheetahs had small lesions, but the male coalition of Namibian brothers Gaurav and Shaurya had severe infection. We have stocked up the medicines for them and are discussing ways to ensure that the problem of radio collars doesn’t resurface. There may be an issue with the design which will be discussed,” said a wildlife official.

Wildlife officials said the cheetahs were in different stages of infection but, in general terms, healthy.

Wildlife officials said they faced difficulty in tranquilising the cheetahs in order to shift them to the enclosures and it became possible only after long-range darting experts were called in. The cheetahs, the officials added, were eventually tranquilised by South African expert Mike Toft.

At least eight of the 20 cheetahs translocated from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno since September last have died so far due to various reasons.

The first, on March 27, was of a Namibian cheetah named Sasha, who died of a kidney ailment. Officials believe Sasha had had the problem before her arrival at Kuno.

On May 9, a female cheetah Daksha, brought from South Africa, died following a “violent interaction” with two male cheetahs during mating.

The two male cheetahs who died on July 11 and 14 were named Tajas and Suraj. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has refuted reports suggesting Tajas and Suraj died due to infections caused by radio collars as “unscientific”.

Source: IndianExpress