Centre forms panel to oversee cheetah plan

With the death of two more cheetah cubs at Kuno (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on Friday constituted the cheetah project steering committee to review and monitor the progress of the cheetah reintroduction programme.

The committee headed by Dr Rajesh Gopal, Secretary General, Global Tiger Forum, will have 11 members.

Three adult cheetahs and three out of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah have died in a span of around two months at the KNP, prompting questions from several experts on the suitability of the habitat and wildlife management.

Besides, there will be a consulting panel of international cheetah experts, which can be consulted or invited to India as per requirements.