Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh: In a heartbreaking development just days before the third anniversary of India’s Cheetah Project, a leopard has killed the cub of Jwala, a female cheetah, at Kuno National Park. The incident sheds light on the complex predator dynamics within the park, raising concerns about the survival of the reintroduced cheetah population.
Cub Found Dead After Separation From Mother and Siblings
The cub, released into the forest alongside its mother Jwala and three siblings on February 21, 2025, was found dead on Monday evening around 6:30 PM. Officials revealed that the cub had been living independently for several weeks, having separated first from its mother and then from its siblings. While the initial assessment points to a leopard attack, the exact cause of death will be confirmed only after a thorough postmortem examination.
Leopard Population in Kuno: A Cause for Concern
Kuno National Park currently houses a population of 25 leopards, including nine adults (six females and three males) and 16 younger leopards. There are also two leopards in the nearby Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur. Though leopard and cub deaths have been recorded previously, this is the first confirmed case of a leopard attack causing the death of a cheetah cub within Kuno.
Initially, leopards were relocated from the cheetah enclosures at the start of the project to prevent conflicts. However, since the cheetahs were released into the wild, continuous monitoring has been underway to study their interaction with existing predators.
Intensive Monitoring and Future Strategy
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Singh Project Uttam Kumar Sharma stated that the cub’s death was initially attributed to a leopard fight, but the final confirmation awaits the postmortem results. The Cheetah Project team has emphasized intensified surveillance to better understand predator interactions and to formulate strategies aimed at minimizing such fatal encounters in the future.
