India’s first born cheetah cub at Kuno National Park, Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh has turned one year old. The captive born and human reared cheetah cub has been tagged as ‘Mukhi’. Mukhi is litter of Namibian cheetah Jawala that rejected the cub soon after the death of three siblings amid the scorching heat of May 2023. The cub was rescued by the forest team in critical condition and it was a touch challenge for the team to keep the cub alive. Cheetah Jwala had delivered four cubs in March 2023 and three of them died of heat stroke and dehydration. The four cubs was abandoned by mother in critical condition, made the forest team literally bleak.

 

Chief Conservator of Forest Uttam Sharma said, “This is an achievement for us to keep the critical cub surviving for one year. The cub was very weak and dehydrated. Now he has gained survival rate and all possible efforts will be made to provide safety to the cats in Kuno periphery.” He further said when Mukhi was rescued, he was just two months old and not feeding well. The team kept the cub in intensive care unit for 24X7 monitoring. He was offered goat milk and it was specially arranges to keep besides the cub for regular supply of milk. Health condition of the cheetah cub was not well as he was suffering from heat stroke.

 

He said, on May 14, all the four cubs of Jwala were healthy and after that mercury started soaring in Kuno and day temperature settled at 47 degree Celsius. On May 23, first cub of the cheetah was died and then on May 25, two cubs died. Now the park is left with only one cheetah cub who is now one year old. “Experts suggested us that goat milk is the best immunity booster along with sufficient iron, vitamin, calcium, potassium, phosphorous and other essential nutrition,” added CCF Uttam Sharma. He further informed that birthday celebration was organised in Kuno National Park to mark the achievement.