September 17 marked one year of the Project Cheetah, and according to the officials, one of the significant challenges faced during the first year of managing cheetahs in India was the unexpected development of winter coats by some cheetahs during the Indian summer and monsoon, in anticipation of the African winter (June to September).

Even African experts did not anticipate this, a senior forest official said.

The winter coat, combined with high humidity and temperatures, caused itching, leading the animals to scratch their necks on tree trunks or the ground. This scratching resulted in bruises and exposed skin, where flies laid their eggs, leading to maggot infestations and, ultimately, bacterial infections and septicemia, resulting in the deaths of three cheetahs, the official explained, as reported by the PTI.

Several international experts, including those in the UK and the US, have imported cheetahs from northern Africa and have recommended that India do the same, the official added.

SP Yadav, the head of Project Cheetah and Additional Director General (Forests) in the Environment Ministry, said, "The idea of importing cheetahs from northern Africa in the future has been discussed, but the next batch will come from South Africa."

He said that India intends to import cheetahs that do not develop thicker winter coats, as this is a primary factor behind severe infections in some cheetahs and the deaths of three of them.

This issue had prompted authorities to capture and bring all the cheetahs back to the enclosures for treatment.

A third official said the idea of importing cheetahs from countries other than Namibia and South Africa is at a nascent stage and requires a lot of deliberation and work.

Historically, cheetahs were found in parts of northern Africa, but their populations in this region have significantly declined, and they are now considered extinct or nearly extinct in many northern African countries.

Currently, the few remaining cheetahs in northern Africa are primarily found in small and isolated populations, mainly in protected areas and national parks. Some of the countries where cheetahs are still found, though in smaller numbers, include Algeria, Egypt, Niger, and Mali.