Kuno National Park Cheetah Death: Cheetah Tbilisi found dead in Kuno National Park; ninth casualty in 11 months | Bhopal News

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh lost yet another cheetah within the bounds of Kuno National Park, located in Sheopur district on Wednesday. This incident marks the ninth death, including three cubs, since the inception of Project Cheetah in September 2022.

The cheetah, Tbilisi (named Dhatri), was born at the Erindi Private Game Reserve in Namibia in April 2020. Her mother, Georgia, was a rehabilitated cheetah, successfully reintroduced into the wild over three years ago. The name “Tbilisi” was given to her in honor of the capital of Georgia. At the time of her passing, Tbilisi was nearly 3.5 years old.
Efforts to monitor and treat Tbilisi had been ongoing for the past two weeks. However, the task proved to be challenging due to the failure of her collar signal, which prevented the authorities from locating and providing her with the necessary medical attention.

Officials have emphasized that this issue is not isolated to India alone, but a challenge faced in cheetah conservation worldwide. It’s a familiar concern in African regions as well. Nevertheless, this experience has offered a crucial lesson for the Kuno teams, enabling them to be vigilant in safeguarding cheetahs in the future.
Experts have expressed that despite losing several individuals, India’s contribution to cheetah conservation may ultimately aid in the survival of this species in the long run. Tbilisi’s story stands as a symbol of hope and determination. She was among the five Namibian female cheetahs that found a new home in Kuno National Park, and she celebrated her first successful hunt on International Cheetah Day.