New Delhi: The Union environment ministry and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) told the Supreme Court on Monday, July 31, that a provisional diagnosis of the cheetah deaths that have occurred at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park “points towards natural causes”, according to reports.The deaths are “troubling” but “not unduly alarming”, the government said in a joint affidavit to the Supreme Court after the court had asked that a detailed affidavit explaining the reasons for the cheetah deaths, and the remedial measures being taken, be submitted. So far, five adult cheetahs and three cubs have died in Kuno – where 20 cheetahs were brought from South Africa and Namibia as part of Project Cheetah, India’s ambitious African cheetah transcontinental relocation programme. ‘Not unduly alarming’ The Supreme Court – while hearing an application filed by the Union government that the NTCA no longer needs to take the advice of the expert committee appointed by the apex court through an order dated January 28, 2020, for cheetah introduction in the country – had raised concerns regarding the deaths of the African cheetahs at Kuno. It had asked the Union government to file a detailed affidavit explaining the reasons for the cheetah deaths, and the remedial measures being taken.The Union environment ministry and NTCA, in the detailed affidavit, said that the provisional diagnosis of deaths points towards “natural causes” and that none of the cheetahs have died due to “unnatural causes” such as poaching, snaring, poisoning, road hits, electrocution, etc. “It is respectfully submitted that the NTCA today has no reason to believe that the mortalities were caused on account of any inherent unsuitability at the Kuno site,” the affidavit said, the PTI report said.The affidavit also claimed that cheetahs have a very low survival rate even in non-introduced or native populations. In introduced populations, the survival rates are even lower, it claimed. “In the case of introduced population, the survival rates are even much lower taking other variables into account which may lead to about 10% survival in cubs, and thus, mortalities (at KNP) though troubling and in need of redressal and curtailment are not unduly alarming,” PTI quoted the affidavit as saying. “Further, for veterinary care, day-to-day management and monitoring and other specific aspects related to ecology and behaviour of cheetahs is being done in consultation with internationally experienced cheetah experts, when and where required, and in conformity with the scientific Action Plan. The best possible veterinary support and health care is provided to the cheetahs to ensure their survival in the natural ecosystem,” the affidavit is reported to have said. It also said that prophylactic treatment is being administered to all surviving cheetahs and that a review of project implementation is being undertaken.Adrian Tordiffe, South African wildlife veterinarian who is also on the Cheetah Project Steering Committee had first raised concerns about the level of veterinary care available at Kuno while speaking to The Wire on July 15. Tordiffe, as well as Rajesh Gopal, the chairperson of the Steering Committee, had also told The Wire that the deaths of two adult cheetahs, Tejas and Suraj, were caused by radio collar-caused infections. The NTCA on July 16 had denied this claim and insisted that all animals died due to “natural causes”. Identified other sites The joint affidavit said that apart from Kuno National Park, authorities have identified potential sites for cheetah introduction in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. These include Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and Shahgarh Bulge, Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and enclosure of Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. However, Mukundra Hills is at present not fit for accommodating cheetahs, per the affidavit. Besides Kuno National Park and its extended landscape of 6800 per sq.km, the NTCA has requested Madhya Pradesh on June 28 to add areas in Shivpuri, Sheopur divisions and Heerupur wildlife sanctuary, reported The Hindu. Currently, Gandhi Sagar and Nauradehi are being prepared for the cheetah population, the affidavit also said, as per the report.