Cheetah conservationist Vincent van der Merwe, key figure in India's Kuno project, found dead in Riyadh

BHOPAL: South African conservationist Vincent van der Merwe, a key person behind the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Project Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh, was found dead in Riyadh, sources told TOI on Tuesday.
Vincent's body was found Sunday evening in the hallway of his apartment building with a head injury. CCTV footage indicates he fell and struck his head on the floor, say sources.
The 42-year-old conservationist was internationally recognized for his role in cheetah conservation and reintroduction projects in Africa and Asia. He had played a crucial role in Project Cheetah in India's Kuno National Park (Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh) along with local officers.
"India will make you, break you, but Project Cheetah will prevail," he had told TOI in an interview in Sept 2024.
A National Geographic Explorer, he was director of The Metapopulation Initiative (TMI) and its Cheetah Metapopulation Project. Most recently, he was working with the government of Saudi Arabia as manager of their efforts to reintroduce cheetah, a species that once thrived on the landscape but became locally extinct more than 50 years ago.
On Thursday, he had extended his contract for another year in Saudi Arabia. His co-workers are committed to carrying on the work in his memory.
"Vincent was the cheetah's best friend, and he was my best friend, too" said Dr. Nejat Jimmy Seid, a veterinarian and species expert from Somaliland working with Vincent in Saudi Arabia. "He will be missed by the many, many people whose lives he touched."
"He introduced me to everyone he knew in conservation," remembered Wiki West, a budding wildlife photographer who followed Vincent in southern Africa documenting his work. "Vincent had a passion and zest for life unmatched by anyone I met. He burned the candle at both ends."
Born in 1983 in South Africa, Vincent's passion for wildlife led him to a distinguished career in conservation biology. As director of TMI, he coordinated efforts to manage and expand cheetah populations across fragmented habitats. His work was instrumental in the successful reintroduction of cheetahs to various reserves, enhancing genetic diversity and species survival.
Beginning with 217 cheetahs on 41 wildlife reserves in South Africa, Vincent's Cheetah Metapopulation Project has grown to include 537 individuals spread across 75 reserves in South Africa, plus Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and in a transcontinental first – India.
Despite setbacks in India, including the deaths of some relocated cheetahs, he remained optimistic about the project's long-term success.
"Vincent believed that India could be a world leader of conservation efforts for the cheetah. He staked his professional reputation on it," said Susan Yannetti, director of strategy and fundraising for The Metapopulation Initiative. "In southern Africa, he doubled the size of safe space available for these big cats in just a little more than a decade. This work with cheetahs is his legacy, and those who knew him shall continue it in his honour."
"I was devastated by the news today. Vincent was a legend. We had some differences of opinion, but I cannot think of anyone who will fill his shoes. He brought so much energy to cheetah conservation and he will be desperately missed," Adrian Tordiffe, veterinary wildlife specialist told TOI.
Vincent is survived by his brother, sister and a longtime girlfriend, his TMI team, and a global community of conservationists inspired by his work.