TWO of the eight cheetahs from Namibia, which were released in the Kuno National Park last month, made their first kill on 7 November.
Within 12 hours of being transferred from a smaller acclimatisation enclosure to a quarantine area, they killed their first prey.
Laurie Marker, the founder and executive director of Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), confirmed this to The Namibian.
“Two days ago, two of the cheetahs, a male coalition known as the Rockstars, Elton and Freedie, released from their quarantine bomas into their next stage holding area, which is 100 hectares and has prey within it,” Marker said.
She added that they caught a spotted chital deer within 12 hours of their release.
“The movement of the other cheetahs is being conducted in stages to allow time to watch each group after release, properly. We are very pleased with the smooth process so far,” she said.
Marker said CCF staff are still in India monitoring the cheetahs’ progress and assisting the Indian team of rangers and researchers responsible for the cheetah project.
On Tuesday, Marker told The Namibian that there is no new prey hunted by the cheetahs, however, one cheetah named Oban was seen hunting.
“We are pleased with the successes so far with the cheetahs’ adaptation,” she said.
