Madhya Pradesh: Namibian Cheetah Pawan Dies at Kuno National Park

A Namibian cheetah named Pawan died in the wild at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. According to reports, Pawan, a male cheetah, was discovered lying near the edge of a swollen nullah amid bushes at around 10:30 a.m. by park staff.

Today at around 10.30 am Namibian male cheetah Pawan was found lying near the edge of a nala amidst bushes without any movement... Preliminary cause of death seems to be due to drowning. Further details will be known after the postmortem report is received: APCCF and Director of… pic.twitter.com/79RGSeDpsY

— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2024

According to a statement from Uttam Sharma, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Director of the Lion Project, veterinarians who examined the body found that the front half, including the head, was submerged in water. There were no visible external injuries. The preliminary cause of death is believed to be drowning. Further details will be provided pending the postmortem report.

The incident follows the death of a five-month-old African cheetah cub, Gamini, on August 5. With Pawan’s death, Kuno National Park now has 24 cheetahs, comprising 12 adults and 12 cubs.