The Story of India’s Cheetahs

Import and export of Cheetah

African cheetahs were taken to Europe from the Maghreb and Egypt for sport since ancient times, Jean Stradan, drawing. From Nott, 1886. Author’s collection

Tamers of Cheetah

Tame cheetahs were kept with the families of their keepers who looked after them like household pets

Antelope and deer hunt, circa 1602-1604

The Mughals used trained cheetahs to capture prey during hunting expeditions. The animal’s population began to shrink, around the reign of Aurangzeb

Cheetah on canvas

A painting of a cheetah in a rock shelter, Kharvai, Madhya Pradesh, 2500-2300 BCE. From Wakankar and Brooks, 1976. Author’s collection

Teaching a cheetah to eat

On touching the stick to the paw, the cheetah becomes irritated and tries to bite it; then a plate of food is placed before it

Divyabhanusinh with a Cheetah

His latest title, The Story of India’s Cheetahs published by The Marg Foundation, delves into India’s most recent tryst with the wild cat

Art commissioned by Arthur Wellesley

Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) who took charge of Tipu’s fort is reported to have hunted with Tipu’s cheetahs at Mysore