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CONSIDERED AN ENIGMA TODAY, CHEETAH IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF INDIAN HISTORY, NOTES WILDLIFE EXPERT DIVYABHANUSINH IN THE STORY OF INDIA’S CHEETAHS. FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1995, A NEW EDITION OF THE BOOK WAS LAUNCHED RECENTLY, WITH A CHAPTER ON INDIA’S PROJECT CHEETAH

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IN 1619 Jahangir writes: "As they had at this time preserved the hunting place of the pargana of Palam [where the Delhi airport is now located], according to order, it was represented that a great number of antelope had collected there... I started to hunt with cheetahs. At the end of the day, during the hunt, much hail fell of the size of apples, and made the air very cold. On this day three antelope were caught. On Sunday, the 2nd, I hunted 46 antelope, and on Monday, the 3rd, 24 antelope were caught with cheetahs. My son Shah Jahan killed two antelope with his gun. On Tuesday, the 4th, five antelope were caught. On Wednesday, the 5th, 27 antelope were caught ... I employed myself within the limits of Palam until Thursday, the 13th, in hunting with cheetahs. In the space of twelve days 426 antelope were caught, and I returned to Delhi. I had heard, when in attendance on my father, that it is impossible for an antelope that has escaped from the grasp of a cheetah to live, although it has not been injured by its claws. In this hunt I, in order to ascertain the fact, released several antelopes of handsome appearance and strong bodies, before they had received any wounds from the teeth or claws [of cheetahs] and ordered them to be kept in my presence, and that they should be taken greatest care of. For a whole day and night they remained at ease in their natural conditions: on the second day a change was observed, and they threw about their legs as if they were drunk without any reason, and fell down and rose up. However much tiryaq-i-faruqi (preparation of opium) and other suitable medicines were administered to them, they had no effect and when one watch had passed in this condition, they died."