Pawan, a male cheetah brought from Namibia in 2022, was released into the wild on July 3, 2023. Pawan was found dead on August 27, 2024. | Image credit: ANI

Another cheetah, Pavan, has died, Madhya Pradesh forest officials confirmed on Tuesday. This is the eighth cheetah, one of 20 brought from South Africa and Namibia, to have died in India. Cheetahs can die for a variety of reasons, but the latest case is an unusual one where an animal died by “drowning”.

“…The male cheetah Pawan was found on the edge of a nala (drainage) in the middle of bushes without movement. The nala was at full capacity due to rainfall. Veterinarians were informed and upon closer examination it was found that the front half of the body, including the head, was in the water and there were no external injuries to the body. “The preliminary cause of death appears to be drowning,” said a press release from the forestry authorities.

“In general, wild cats are good swimmers, so it is unusual to hear of a death by drowning. We need more details,” said a person familiar with Project Cheetah.

Currently, most of the cheetahs are in special enclosures and are expected to be released into the wild from October, when the monsoon is over. Pavan, one of the cheetahs from Namibia, was the only one to be released into the wild. All of the animals are reportedly monitored with radio collars and their movements are tracked.