The Supreme Court expressed concern over the continuous deaths of cheetahs released in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Prashant Kumar Mishra said that 40 per cent of cheetahs die within a year and the project should not be turned into a pride issue.
The court inquired whether the cause of death was weather or kidney and lung problems. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhatti said that infection leads to death. It was also asked whether the cheetahs should not be kept in groups and moved to another habitat. The center was also directed to take necessary steps for the protection of cheetahs as soon as possible.
However, the Center told the court that such problems are natural when they are removed from their natural environment and experts had already stated that 50 percent of the cheetahs brought from Namibia would die. Eight cheetahs died in Kuno National Park in four months. Of the 20 cheetahs brought from Africa, 15 remain. With this, a huge protest has been raised against the Union Ministry of Environment from many quarters.
