Heatwave Kills Cheetah Cubs Said to End Extinction of Species in India

When a cheetah from Africa arrived in India, it gave birth, putting an end to the local extinction of the species.

However, the recent heatwave killed the young pups.

First Cubs Born in India since 1952

In the past week, a heatwave in the area has caused temperatures to skyrocket, killing three cheetah pups who were born to a big cat that was transported to India from Africa last year.

The cubs were the country's first litter in more than 70 years.

Cheetahs were once common throughout India, but habitat loss and hunting led to their extinction in 1952.

The mother of these young cheetahs was one of the 20 cheetahs that India airlifted in from Namibia and South Africa as part of a bold and contentious effort to restore the fastest land mammal in the world to the South Asian nation.

Killed by the Heatwave

Veterinarians in the Madhya Pradesh state national park are keeping a tight eye on the mother and her three young cubs after the first cub died on Tuesday.

On Thursday afternoon, when temperatures hit 113F, the cubs appeared feeble, and authorities stepped in to aid the cats.

They were very dehydrated, feeble, and underweight, and two of the cubs later passed away, according to a statement from forest officials on Thursday.

In a critical care facility, the final surviving cub is receiving medical attention.

Officials remained mum over the cause of the fatalities, however, it is thought that India's intense warmth may have debilitated the cubs.

Experts claimed that both in the wild and captivity, cheetah cub survival rates are low.

The Indian prime leader, Narendra Modi, had suggested the cats would support efforts to maintain India's neglected grasslands when they were first brought with much fanfare.

However, three of the 20 adult cheetahs sent to India have passed away: two females and a male.

Globally, less than 7,000 adult cheetahs are still living in the wild, and they only occupy 9% of their historical territory.

A major issue is the shrinking habitat caused by the growing number of people and climate change, The Guardian reported.

Also Read: World's Rarest Big Cat: Endangered Amur Leopard in San Diego Zoo Gives Birth to Twin Cubs

Cheetah Deaths in India

It is thought that an Indian royal hunted down the last Asiatic cheetah to wander the subcontinent in 1947.

According to VOA, India officially recognized the spotted feline as extinct in 1952.

To establish a free-ranging population in Kuno National Park in India for the first time since their extinction in that country 70 years ago, a total of 20 cheetahs lifted from Namibia and South Africa will be transported there between fall 2022 and winter 2023, according to Science Daily.

However, several of the 20 cheetahs that India imported had passed away.

The female was found hurt in early May and given medical attention, but she passed away at lunchtime, according to a statement from the park.

According to early accounts, she suffered injuries while mating with two male cheetahs, it was claimed.

To help restore cheetahs to India, all three were sent by South Africa early this year.

Daksha, the female cheetah, passed away on Tuesday.

Before the incident, she was placed in a pen alongside the two males, Agni and Vayu, which were kept there, the BBC reported.