India tried to reintroduce cheetahs-then it all went wrong

LAST SEPTEMBER, EIGHT RADIO-collared cheetahs made the 5,000-mile-long journey from Namibia to Kuno National Park in India.

- ASTHA RAJVANSHI

Their arrival marked the final phase of a 13-year-long effort called Project Cheetah, which aims to reintroduce the big cat species to India's grasslands 70 years after they were hunted into oblivion. Project Cheetah entered its second year Sept. 18, but the fate of the high-profile conservation project is in doubt after nine out of 20 cheetahs, including three cubs, have died since March. Authorities have recaptured the remaining cats and kept them in enclosures for monitoring and supervision. The setbacks have raised concerns from an international community of co