Pavon, a male cheetah brought from Namibia in 2022, was released into the wild on July 3, 2023. Pawan was found dead on 27 August 2024. Photo credit: ANI
Another leopard, Pavon, has died, Madhya Pradesh forest officials confirmed on Tuesday (August 27, 2024). This is the eighth cheetah, part of 20 imported from South Africa and Namibia, to die in India. While cheetahs have died from various causes, the latest is a rare instance of an animal dying from 'drowning'.
“…a male cheetah pawan was found lying by the side of a Nala [drain] Among the bushes without any movement. gave Nala was full due to rain. The doctors were informed and on closer inspection it was found that the front half of the body including the head was under water and no external injury was seen anywhere on the body. The initial cause of death appears to be drowning,” a press note from forest officials said.
“Usually wild cats are good swimmers. So it is unusual to hear of death by drowning. We need more details,” said a person familiar with the Project Cheetah program.
Currently, most of the cheetahs are in special enclosures and are expected to be released into the wild with the end of the monsoon from October. Poon, a Namibian cheetah, was the only one released into the wild. All the animals are reportedly monitored by radio collars and their movements are monitored.