Latest news with #UttamSharma
Indian Express
12-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
8-year-old Namibian female cheetah dies from injuries at Kuno
An eight-year-old Namibian female cheetah named Nabha died at Kuno National Park on Saturday, a week after sustaining severe injuries likely during a hunting attempt inside its soft release enclosure. 'Nabha got badly injured a week back, probably during a hunting attempt inside her soft release boma. She had fractures in both the ulna and fibula on the left side, along with other injuries. Despite a week-long treatment, she succumbed to her injuries today,' said Uttam Sharma, the field director of the Cheetah Project. Nabha was one of the cheetahs translocated from Namibia under Project Cheetah, the Government of India's flagship reintroduction initiative. The cheetahs were brought to Kuno in two phases — the first batch from Namibia in September 2022 and the second from South Africa in February 2023. With Nabha's death, the cheetah population at Kuno now stands at 26, including nine adult cheetahs (six females and three males) and 17 cubs born in India. Officials said all the remaining cheetahs, including the two males kept at Gandhisagar, are in good health. 'Currently, 16 cheetahs are living in the wild at Kuno and have adapted well to their new habitat. They have learned to coexist with co-predators and are regularly hunting,' Sharma said, adding that a recent round of anti-parasitic treatment for all cheetahs has been completed successfully. Two female cheetahs, Veera and Nirva, have also recently given birth and are reported to be doing well along with their cubs. A post-mortem report is awaited to determine the exact cause of Nabha's death.
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Namibian cheetah, 8, dies in Kuno National Park week after getting injured
An eight-year-old cheetah named Nabha, translocated to Kuno National Park (KNP) from Namibia, succumbed to injuries on Saturday, an official stated. "Nabha was badly injured a week back, probably during a hunting attempt inside her soft release enclosure. She had fractures in both ulna and fibula on the left side along with other injuries," Cheetah Project Field Director Uttam Sharma said in a statement. Out of 26 cheetahs in Kuno National Park, 16 are in the wild and are performing very well. (PTI/Representational Image) She was under treatment for a week but succumbed to her injuries. Further details will be known after the postmortem, he added. After Nabha's death, KNP is now left with 26 cheetahs, including nine adults (six females and three males) and 17 cubs born in KNP. The statement also said that out of the 26 cheetahs, 9 are adults and 17 are Indian born cubs. Additionally, two male cheetah in Gandhisagar are also healthy. Out of 26 cheetahs in KNP, 16 are in the wild and are performing very well. They have adapted well to the habitat, have learned to live with co-predators, and are regularly hunting, Sharma added. Anti-ecto-parasitic medication for all cheetahs was completed recently. Two mothers, Veera and Nirva, along with their recently born cubs, are healthy and doing well, the director added. India's cheetah reintroduction project was launched in September 2022, years after the species was declared extinct in the country, with last cheetahs spotted in 1947. Under this project 20 African cheetahs were brought to Kuno National Park in phased manner, including eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023. In May 2023, three cubs born to Namibian cheetah Jwala died due to extreme heat in the national park in Madhya Pradesh. After this, in June this year, a solar-powered water lift system was installed to protect the cheetah cubs from intense heat in summers. (With inputs form PTI)
