After being relocated to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh from Namibia, in September, two male cheetahs finally got their first prey. According to the official, the cheetahs successfully hunted and killed a cheetal (also known as a spotted deer) either late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning.
The cheetahs managed to get their first prey within 24 hours of being released from quarantine
After being placed in quarantine on September 17, these two male cheetahs, named Freddie and Elton, were the first pair to be let out of the smaller enclosure and into the larger one on November 5. After being released, they were successful in making their first kill within 24 hours.
According to Forest department officials, the incident happened sometime between 6 pm Sunday and Monday morning.
Our Prime minister’s reaction to the incident
On his birthday, September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the cheetahs. On Monday he tweeted, “Great news! Am told that after the mandatory quarantine, 2 cheetahs have been released to a bigger enclosure for further adaptation to the Kuno habitat. Others will be released soon. I’m also glad to know that all cheetahs are healthy, active, and adjusting well.”
The two male cheetahs made it
According to sources, the two male cheetahs tried to hunt a blackbuck within the first hour of being set free, but they were unsuccessful. Thereafter, Cheetal noises were heard coming from the larger area known as “Boma 4” on Sunday evening, leading officials to speculate that another hunt was taking place. On Monday morning, a monitoring team that had been dispatched to the region to conduct an inspection found the carcass of a huge male cheetal.
What’s the big deal about cheetah hunting?
It’s the first time a large carnivore has been moved from one continent to another. The eight cheetahs had travelled 8,000 kilometers across the Indian Ocean to Kuno, a new environment.
They were quarantined for days and fed buffalo meat. Now, Freddie and Elton’s first kill so soon after release shows they’re in good health and the relocation effort is going well.
According to a senior forest officer, It is incredible that the cheetahs had already made their first kill after only twenty-four hours. This shows that the big cats are in the excellent physical condition and that there is no reason to be concerned about these cheetahs experiencing any loss of muscle power as a result of the time they spend in quarantine.
Sources state the fact that the two Cheetahs were able to hunt and consume a huge antelope shows that they are adjusting nicely.
In 1952, these species were on the extinction list of India. In a phased effort to reintroduce big cats to India and as part of a program to re-establish the cheetah in its natural environment, eight cheetahs, five females, and three males ranging in age from 30 to 66 months were transported from Namibia.
And, given the names Freddy, Alton, Savannah, Sasha, Obaan, Asha, Cibili, and Saisa respectively.
The reason the male cheetahs were not hunting for a while
In order to keep the cheetahs healthy and free of disease, they had been isolated from other animals in special cages called bomas. Freddie and Elton are the first to be released into the larger enclosure.
Obaan, another male cheetah, will be the next cheetah to be set free in the expansive cage once it is ready. Forest officials have indicated that the release will most likely take place within the next week.
Read More: The Cheetah’s out of the Bag: from Namibia to Kuno
