Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The four cheetahs infected with maggots have recovered as a result of treatment given to them at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district. However, no decision has been taken that whether they should be radio-collared again.
Four cheetahs - Alton, Fredie, Oban and Savana - were infected with maggots. The infection had developed around the neck portion, which is covered by the radio collar. They all were caught along with other free ranging cheetahs and put inside the enclosures for treatment. The radio collar of four cheetahs was removed after their rescue.
“ Alton, Fredie, Oban and Savana are cured and are in good shape,” said an official of Kuno National Park.
The decision to catch all the free ranging cheetahs was taken after deaths of two cheetahs in successive interval of time.
Overseas training
There is a proposal to send forest officials of Kuno National Park for training to Namibia and South Africa in near future. Names of Kuno Field Director Uttam Kumar Sharma and three others have been forwarded for overseas training.
A Kuno Park official said those who visited Namibia and South Africa earlier will have to be sent again for foreign training.
“Now, we have completed one year in handling cheetahs and encountered problems. We can tell foreign trainers about the problems faced in handling of cheetah in Indian climate and receive guidance from them,” said forest official.
Twenty cheetahs were brought from Namibia and South Africa and of them six have died. Now only 14 adult cheetahs are left in Kuno. Three out of four cubs have also died due to extreme heat.
