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Two Cheetah Cubs Die at Kuno After Release, Highway Collision Prompts Probe

The setbacks test India’s cheetah reintroduction effort during the shift from enclosures to open range.

Overview

  • One of two cubs that strayed from Kuno was struck and killed between 5 and 6 am on the Agra–Mumbai National Highway near the Simariya turn in Ghatigaon, officials said.
  • Authorities apprehended a driver and opened an investigation, and the carcass was taken to Kuno for a post-mortem by a panel of experts.
  • Forest teams say both escaped cubs were being tracked via satellite collars, and a search continues for the remaining cub after the highway fatality.
  • A ten-month-old cub of Veera was found dead on Friday a day after release, with no external injuries reported and the cause of death pending autopsy; officials have indicated a fall is suspected.
  • Kuno’s cheetah count is now 27 — eight adults and 19 India-born cubs — with three additional adults at Gandhi Sagar, as activists call for stronger monitoring and highway safeguards.