Eight-Year-Old Namibian Cheetah Nabha Dies After Injury at Kuno National Park

Rapid Summary

• Incident: Nabha,an 8-year-old Namibian female cheetah,has died at Kuno National Park (KNP),Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district,on July 12,2025.
• Cause of Death: Sustained injuries during a probable hunting attempt inside her soft-release boma. The injuries included fractures in the ulna and fibula on the left side.Despite undergoing treatment for a week, Nabha succumbed to her injuries.
• Current Status at Kuno:

– The park hosts 26 cheetahs – nine adults (six females and three males) and 17 Indian-born cubs – all reported healthy.
– Sixteen cheetahs among them are in the wild and have adapted well to their habitat.
– Anti-ecto-parasitic medications for all cheetahs were recently administered successfully.
– Two mothers with newborn cubs (Veera and Nirva) are reported healthy.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The unfortunate demise of Nabha underscores both the challenges of reintroducing predators into new environments and the fragility of wildlife conservation strategies involving relocation from foreign habitats. While efforts to provide medical care were robust, this incident highlights risks inherent in adaptation processes like hunting within semi-controlled spaces such as soft-release bomas.

On a broader scale, Kuno’s overall progress is commendable with reports indicating healthy population growth via natural reproduction among Indian-born cubs. This signifies ecological adaptability by predators accustomed to co-existing with native species. continued monitoring is essential not only for immediate health issues but also for ensuring long-term stability of relocated populations within India’s complex ecosystems.

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