Kidney Disease Claims the Life of Namibian Cheetah Sasha in Madhya Pradesh

One of the eight cheetahs that were relocated to India from Namibia has died after developing a kidney infection in January. Sasha, a five-year-old female big cat, had shown signs of fatigue and weakness during a daily monitoring check, and a medical examination revealed that she was dehydrated and had kidney-related problems. A blood test revealed that her creatinine levels were very high, indicating an infection in the kidney. The other cheetahs in the park are healthy. Sasha was one of five female cheetahs flown in from Namibia last year as part of an ambitious reintroduction programme which aims to revive the species’ population in India, where they became extinct more than 70 years ago. Four of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia have now been released into the wild in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, and the park is now home to 20 cheetahs. South Africa has signed an agreement with India to introduce dozens of African cheetahs to the Asian country over the next decade, the world’s first intercontinental translocation project that aims at reintroducing the big cats in the country.