22 Kuno Cheetahs Get Medication Against Parasitic Infections

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Kuno National Park officials have successfully administered Bravecto treatment to 22 cheetahs, all above six months old. Of them, 16 are roaming in the wild. This has been done to prevent parasitic infections, particularly ticks, during the monsoon season.

Administering the treatment to wild cheetahs in itself was a challenge, as it can only be given once the animal is tranquilised. However, the team managed to do this in just eight days without any complications. 

Notably, during the 2023 monsoon, high humidity and warm conditions led to an outbreak of parasitic infections, particularly ticks, resulting in the death of three cheetahs.

The increased moisture during and after the monsoon creates a favourable environment for parasites and pathogens, significantly raising the risk of tick infestations and related diseases. 

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Cheetahs tranquilised first

On June 17, Gamini and her four cubs, living wild and moving near Jora in the Morena district, became the first group of five wild cheetahs to be successfully tranquilised and treated withBravecto within a single operation.

The next day, Aasha’s three cubs, also in the wild and moving near Moravan village, Sheopur, were tranquilised for medication. Likewise, two mother cheetahs, Veera and Nirva, were tranquilised for the first time while accompanied by young cubs.

Veera has two cubs, around four months old. Nirva has three cubs less than two months of age. This was a delicate operation as it was unclear how such young cubs or their mothers might react to the procedure.

Soon, an immobilisation manual

The chemical immobilisation or tranquilisation operations were carried out under varying weather conditions – from hot sunny days to spells of rain.

Moving forward, the Kuno National Park is preparing a dedicated capture and immobilisation manual, aimed at equipping field staff with protocols and best practices for handling cheetahs and other large carnivores. This will serve as a vital resource for wildlife managers.