On Monday, it was reported that Sasha, who was one of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia and introduced in Kuno National Park last year, passed away due to a kidney ailment. It was noted that Sasha had been suffering from this ailment even before her arrival in India.
Sasha was exhibiting signs of fatigue and weakness on January 23, leading to her being tranquillized and moved to a quarantine enclosure for treatment.
As a part of India’s cheetah reintroduction programme, Sasha was released into Kuno National Park on September 17th of last year at the age of three.
After being brought to Kuno National Park, all the cheetahs were kept in quarantine for observation. By November, they were released into larger hunting enclosures. Since then, the cheetahs have adapted well to their new home, hunting on their own and displaying signs of successful acclimatization.
Sasha was a captive-bred cheetah.
The cheetah reintroduction project is a high-profile program that has attracted the attention of the international conservation community. The next batch of 12 cheetahs is expected to arrive in India very soon.