Efforts on to rescue African hunting cheetah cubs

They may be down due to nerves problem or less nutrition

Perplexed due to the death of two of the five African hunting cheetahs in recent days, the authorities at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens here have stepped up efforts to ensure the health of the remaining cubs.

On Sunday, Dr G Pampapathi from Veterinary Centre and Diagnostics, J P Nagar in Bangalore, visited the zoo to take stock of the three cubs. Dr Pampapathi has 15 years of Australian experience, besides being a faculty at the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Bangalore.

Pampapathi told the media that the cubs have developed weakness in the hind legs. It could be either due to weakness in the nerves or weakness of the bones and muscles due to nutritional deficiency. Globally, in the case of nerves related diseases among cheetahs, the survival chances are zero.

The only hope is, if the cheetahs have developed nutritional related disease, it could be treated. Even then, it’s a 50:50 chance.

The medication has begun and it could be known only after six to eight weeks whether the animals are suffering from nutrition related disease. If not, it would be the case of nervous disorder. In the case of nerves weakness, the animals eventually suffer from tremor in the brain resulting in the death.

Executive director of the zoo B P Ravi said, they have also initiated efforts to retrieve in formation of the parentage of Maya, the mother cheetah.

Maya was the first to die, which was later followed by two of its cubs. “The details of parentage will help in understanding whether there were similar case history related to its parents and ancestors”, Ravi added.

On the other hand, dogged by the recent death of animals, the authorities are leaving no stone unturned to know whether the deaths were due to foul play or natural, confirmed Ravi.