Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav informed the Rajya Sabha that Namibian cheetah Shaurya died due to septicemia, marking the fourth big cat to succumb to this condition. Shaurya’s demise occurred at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on January 16, adding to the 10 fatalities since the reintroduction of African big cats in India in 2022.

Previously, three cheetahs – a female named Tbilisi from Namibia, along with two South African males, Tejas and Sooraj – had also fallen victim to septicemia last year. The Ministry of Environment explained in its annual report on Project Cheetah that this condition stemmed from wounds beneath the dense winter coat on the back and neck regions. These wounds became infested with maggots, leading to septicemia.

While it wasn’t immediately confirmed if Shaurya’s death followed the same pattern, Yadav stated in the Upper House that India plans to introduce 12-14 cheetahs from South Africa, Namibia, or other African countries over the next five years, depending on animal availability and the status of the introduced cheetahs.

An official explained that the deaths of the three cheetahs were attributed to bruising and exposure of the skin, allowing flies to lay eggs and resulting in maggot infestations. This, in turn, led to bacterial infections and septicemia.

India’s strategy moving forward involves importing cheetahs that do not develop thicker winter coats, as shared by a senior official. This approach aims to mitigate the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.