BHOPAL: One of the two cheetah cubs released into the wild, along with their mother, at the Kuno National Park the day before, was found dead on Friday. A South African female cheetah, Veera, was released along with its two cubs from the enclosures into the wild by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on International Cheetah Day.

“One of Veera’s cubs, which was aged around 10 months, was found dead in the forest on Friday. The cub had been released into the wild along with its sibling and mother, Veera, on Thursday. During the night, the cub got separated from mother and sibling. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received,” Cheetah Project’s field director said in an official statement on Friday night.

“Veera and the other cub, meanwhile, are together and doing well,” the statement said.

CM Dr Mohan Yadav had released six-year-old Veera and two cubs (born in February 2025) into the wild in Kuno National Park’s (KNP) Parond Forest Area, marking the International Cheetah Day on Thursday.