Five Pellets Found in Dead Kuno Cheetah's Body, Madhya Pradesh Forms STF to Probe Shooting

The Madhya Pradesh government has formed a Special Task Force (STF) comprising forest and police officers to investigate the shooting of a 19-month-old male cheetah at Kuno National Park, after five firearm pellets were recovered from its body during emergency surgery.

The cheetah, identified as KNG22, died during treatment on Tuesday morning despite sustained efforts by the veterinary team. Forest officials had rescued the animal on October 25 from compartment No. 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Samita Rajora said an X-ray initially revealed multiple foreign bodies lodged at different locations in the cheetah’s body.

The animal was subsequently shifted to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU) in Jabalpur for detailed examination and intensive treatment.

CT Scan Reveals Extensive Internal Damage

A CT scan found that the foreign bodies had damaged the cheetah’s internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system.

“Emergency surgery was performed, during which five firearm pellets were recovered from his body,” Rajora said in a statement issued by the Forest Department.

Despite surgical intervention and continued treatment, the veterinary team could not save the animal.

STF to Investigate Shooting

The state government has constituted the STF to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident. The team, comprising forest and police officers, will investigate the circumstances in which the cheetah was shot and establish responsibility.

The Forest Department has not disclosed further details about the suspected shooting or identified any accused in the case.

India’s Cheetah Population Falls to 58

With KNG22’s death, India’s cheetah population stands at 58, according to the Forest Department. Of these, 52 are at Kuno National Park, four at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.

Located in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, Kuno is the principal site of India’s cheetah reintroduction programme, which began in September 2022 with the arrival of cheetahs from Namibia. Animals were subsequently brought from South Africa as part of efforts to establish a viable cheetah population in the country.

Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952. The reintroduction programme aims to restore the species to the country’s grasslands and other suitable habitats.