MP: Tbilis, female cheetah in Kuno, died of infection caused by maggot infestation

Bhopal: Tbilisi, the female cheetah which died in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on August two this year, had succumbed to infections caused by maggot infestation, official sources said on Friday quoting the post-mortem report.

“Tbilisi alias Dhatri had succumbed to infections caused by maggot infestation in her injuries due to the abrasion of her radio collared neck band. This was suggested by the post-mortem report”, a senior forest officer in the know told this newspaper on the condition of anonymity.

Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), associated with the cheetah introduction project in India, recounted the last encounter of one of its officials, conservation release programme manager Barth Balli, with Tbilisi, saying that he had spent ten days to track her and got close enough to recapture.

“Though, he (Balli) could not capture Tbilisi, he saw her successfully hunting”, the CCF said.

Cause of death of the female cheetahTbilisi was similar to that of Tejas and Saurjya, the two male cheetahs of Kuno which died a fortnight ago, the forest officer said.

Meanwhile, the lone female cheetah left in the wild in the park was yet to be recaptured for health examination, the forest officer said.

The monitoring team was finding it difficult to track the feline in the wild since the radio collar tagged to her is sending very weak signals and almost became non-functional, sources said.

The remaining 14 cheetahs, including seven males, six females and one female cub, which are currently kept in bomas or enclosures for regular health checkups have been found in good health.

“We are very grateful to report that all the 14 cheetahs living at Kuno in pre-release bomas are healthy and thriving. They are under regular observation by the expert team in Kuno”, the CCF said.

Eight cheetahs from Namibia and 12 others from South Africa were translocated to Kuno National Park in September last year and February this year respectively under cheetah introduction project.

Of the 20 cheetahs, six cheetahs have died so far.

A Namibian cheetah, Jwala, had given birth to four cubs in March this year.

Three of them have died.

The park is now left with 14 adult cheetahs and the lone surviving cub.