Namibian Cheetah Gaurav Dies at Kuno National Park; Kuno Population Falls to 51

Gaurav, a 10-year-old Namibian male cheetah, died at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on 21 September 2026 after about ten days of treatment in a quarantine boma at Palpur. Found weak and dull on 12 September, he showed marked muscle wasting and severe dehydration; the exact cause awaits post-mortem and sample analysis. After his death Kuno houses 51 cheetahs, of which 36 are India-born, and India's total stands at 55. Gaurav was among the eight cheetahs flown in from Namibia in 2022 that launched Project Cheetah, which returned the species to India after it was declared extinct here in 1952.