India Government orders probe into death of Kuno National Park cheetah

The Indian Union Government has deployed a high-level central investigation team to Madhya Pradesh following the death of a 19-month-old male cheetah, identified as KNG22. The cheetah, an offspring of the South African female Nirva, succumbed to injuries caused by five firearm pellets.

The animal was discovered injured on October 25 in the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division, located outside the protected area of Kuno National Park. Despite undergoing emergency surgery at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur, the cheetah died on October 27. Medical examinations revealed internal injuries to the spine, lungs, and shoulder region.

The central team includes representatives from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB). Their mandate is to investigate the circumstances of the death, examine evidence, and review existing security and monitoring protocols for the reintroduced cheetah population under Project Cheetah.

Local officials have ruled out retaliatory killing related to recent livestock predation, noting that the incidents occurred approximately 100 kilometers apart. The Madhya Pradesh government has also formed a Special Task Force to coordinate with central authorities.