Project Cheetah Big Cat Dead
Gaurav, one of the first Namibian cheetahs introduced to India's Kuno National Park under Project Cheetah, has died at age 10. Known as one of the 'Rockstars' of the project, he was a key figure in the effort to reintroduce the species to the Indian wild.
Why it matters
The death of a prominent cheetah is a significant setback for India's ambitious wildlife conservation project aimed at restoring extinct species.
In 2022, it came to Kuno National Park as part of the first batch of eight Namibian cheetahs brought to India under Project Cheetah. It was among the first to step into the Kuno landscape, make a kill, establish a territory, survive competition with other males and, eventually, father a new generation of cheetahs born in India. On Monday, nearly four years after making the journey from the African nation to India, Gaurav, the Cheetah, breathed its last at the wildlife sanctuary. It was a little over 10 years old. Gaurav, originally named Elton, was among the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia to Kuno in September 2022. He arrived alongside Freddy, later renamed Shaurya. The two males eventually came to be known as the “Rockstars” of Kuno. Gaurav and Shaurya were released into the free-ranging area of Kuno on March 22, 2023.
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