Male cheetah Suraj, translocated from Africa, died at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, forest officials said.

It took the number of cheetahs that have died at the park in Sheopur district since March this year to eight.

Only three days ago another translocated male cheetah, Tejas, had died at the park.

Suraj was found lying still in Palpur East Forest Range’s Masavani beat by a monitoring team on Friday morning. When they went closer, they found insects hovering over its neck but it then rose and ran away, said an official.

A team of veterinarians and forest officials rushed to the spot and the cheetah was found dead around 9 AM, the official said.

"This is for the first time that a cheetah died in the free range,” he added.

There were injury marks on his back and neck, and a detailed report was awaited, the official said.

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