Central Probe Ordered After Young Cheetah Dies from Gunshot Wounds in Madhya Pradesh

The Incident

The Union Government has formed a high-level committee to investigate the death of a 19-month-old male cheetah cub from gunshot injuries in Madhya Pradesh. This marks the first recorded killing of a cheetah since the Centre started its species reintroduction project in September 2022. The cub, named KGN22 and born to female cheetah Nirva, was found injured on the evening of October 25 in the Sheopur territorial forest division, located outside the protected area of Kuno National Park.

Medical Treatment And Death

Rescuers first brought the animal to Kuno for treatment before shifting it the next day to a government veterinary facility in Jabalpur for surgery. A CT scan revealed multiple foreign objects damaging internal organs, the musculoskeletal system, and the nervous system. Surgeons recovered five firearm pellets from its body during the operation, but the cub succumbed to its injuries on Tuesday morning, October 27. Following this death, India's total cheetah population stands at 58, which includes 52 animals in Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.

Investigation Teams

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stated that the Centre views the matter with utmost gravity. The newly formed three-member central probe team includes the Inspector General of Forests from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, an Additional Director from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and a Regional Deputy Director from the WCCB. This central team will work alongside state machinery, review security protocols, and submit its findings to the ministry. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh authorities have already set up a four-sector Special Task Force comprising police and forest officers, alongside the deployed State Tiger Strike Force. State wildlife officials state that investigators are exploring all angles, including a possible self-defense shooting by someone who mistook the animal for a leopard, while still not ruling out poaching.

Context

Project Cheetah involves bringing African cheetahs to India to restore a species that became extinct in the country decades ago. Protecting these animals requires active monitoring as they occasionally move beyond the boundaries of reserved parks into surrounding forest divisions where human activity is higher.