Vincent van der Merwe found dead: Conservationist behind PM Modi’s Project Cheetah found dead in Saudi flat

World-renowned conservationist and key member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream project, Project Cheetah, Vincent van der Merwe, was found dead in an apartment in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, sending shockwaves through the environmental conservation community.

The 42-year-old played a crucial hand in introducing cheetahs from Africa to India’s Kuno National Park.

Vincent van der Merwe’s body was found in the hallway of his apartment along with a head injury, according to reports. Although officials have ruled out any foul play, Van der Merwe’s family claimed on Facebook that it was not an accident.

Founder of The Metapopulation Initiative (TMI), Van der Merwe is not only known for his work across Asia but also in Africa.

Recently, his organisation had been working with the Saudi Arabian government on a plan to reintroduce cheetahs there, which is why he was in Riyadh, where his body was discovered.

Van der Merwe was among the select cheetah experts directly involved in PM Modi’s dream initiative, Project Cheetah, at Kuno National Park.

He was in charge of getting the cheetahs brought from South Africa and Namibia acclimatised to Indian conditions. Despite the challenges and legal barriers involved in re-introducing the African cheetahs to Kuno National Park, he also expressed strong faith in the project.