Last Updated on July 15, 2023 3: 09pm
Guwahati: With the death of two more cheetahs in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, some veterinarians have suspected that the collars put on the cats might be a cause.
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It has been suspected that the neck collars worn by cheetahs are leading to inflammation, bacterial infections, and septicaemia.
According to reports, an expert from South Africa guiding India’s cheetah introduction project, Adrian Tordiffe, stated that both the male cheetahs that died—one in the unfenced area on Friday and the other within a fenced area on Tuesday, likely succumbed to collar-related infections.
He said that on checking the cheetahs after their deaths, the veterinarians did not find any wounds that may have been caused by another animal.
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Tordiffe is an associate professor at the University of Pretoria.
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Preliminary post-mortem examinations of the cheetah that died on Tuesday and video footage of the wounds near the necks of both deceased cheetahs suggest that they died due to skin inflammation under the collar, which attracted flies and led to life-threatening septicaemia (blood poisoning caused by bacteria).
Tordiffe further explained that the humid or wet weather conditions in India may cause water to accumulate beneath the collar, keeping the skin constantly wet.
This creates an environment that attracts flies, which lay eggs and result in fly larvae (maggots) feeding on the tissues and causing infected wounds that can lead to systemic infections, he added.
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While these wounds typically start near the neck, Tordiffe highlighted that as the larvae crawl along the cheetah’s back, the wounds may extend to other areas that the cheetah cannot clean or lick away, exacerbating the problem.
Video images of the wounds on both cheetahs support the presence of maggot-caused wounds, and the post-mortem examination of the cheetah that died on Tuesday revealed signs of shock or multiple organ failure caused by septicaemia.
Finding a solution promptly is crucial, especially during the ongoing monsoon season.
Further examinations of other cheetahs for skin inflammation under their collars may be necessary.
Some collars might need to be removed, and alternative methods of monitoring the cheetahs should be explored.