Nirva, the last African cheetah roaming the wilds of Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, has finally been located and transferred to an enclosed space called a boma for further health assessment on Sunday morning.

The national park authorities reported that they had obtained the cheetah’s most recent location data up until the evening of August 11, thanks to satellite tracking.

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Concerns arose when Nirva’s radio collar suddenly stopped transmitting signals, setting off a widespread search operation to locate her.

The elusive cheetah had remained out of sight for 22 consecutive days, ever since her radio collar ceased functioning on July 21. Reassuringly, the cheetah’s condition appears to be sound, and she has been securely placed within a boma for closer examination.

All fifteen cheetahs inhabiting the park – consisting of seven males, seven females, and one female cub – are presently residing in bomas. The Kuno National Park veterinary team keeps a watchful eye on their health indicators.

A well-coordinated effort, orchestrated by a team comprising drones, dogs, elephants, field personnel, veterinarians, and overseen by senior officials of the national park, successfully led to the retrieval of Nirva.

The decision to conduct a health evaluation on Nirva arose in the wake of three cheetah fatalities within a short timeframe, spanning from July 11 to August 2. These deaths resulted from neck wounds infested with maggots, stemming from their radio collars. Surviving cheetahs have been located and brought to enclosures for medical attention.

The Cheetah Reintroduction Project facilitated the introduction of eight Namibian cheetahs – three males and five females – into enclosures at KNP on September 17 last year. Subsequently, twelve more cheetahs from South Africa joined the ranks in February.

Since March, six adult cheetahs have met unfortunate ends due to varied causes, resulting in a cumulative death toll of nine felines, encompassing three cubs.

The search for Nirva involved over 100 field staff members, including officers, veterinarians, and cheetah trackers. Spanning a daily area of 15 to 20 square kilometers, the endeavor employed two drone squads, a team of dogs, and even elephants. Additionally, local villagers were alerted about potential sightings of Nirva, and any information gleaned from them was thoroughly verified.