Kuno Cheetah Cub Dies After Suspected Shooting; Wildlife Activist Seeks CBI Probe

The incident has raised concerns about the safety of cheetahs when they move beyond protected habitats and poses a fresh challenge to India’s cheetah conservation programme.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the cub’s death, alleging negligence on the part of the forest department. He has also sought the removal of Kuno Field Director Uttam Sharma, DFO Thiru and SDO Amritanshu, holding them responsible for failing to ensure the animal’s safety.

“I had warned about such risks for years, but the Madhya Pradesh government turned a blind eye. There is no trust in the Kuno Field Director,” Dubey said, calling for an immediate investigation into the suspected shooting.

Cub Found Injured in Morena Forest Division

According to forest department sources, a monitoring team found the male cub, one of the offspring of female cheetah Nirva, injured on the evening of October 25. The animal was moving through the territorial forest division of Morena district, which borders Sheopur.

The monitoring team rescued the cub overnight and brought it to Kuno for an initial medical examination. It was subsequently shifted to a medical facility in Jabalpur for specialised treatment.

Medical examinations detected three to four metal pellets inside the cub’s abdominal cavity. Despite being transferred for advanced care, the animal died, the sources said.

The suspected shooting would be the first reported incident of its kind involving a cheetah since the species was reintroduced in India in September 2022 under Project Cheetah.

Specialised Teams Deployed for Investigation

The Special Tiger Strike Force (STSF), a specialised wildlife protection unit, has been deployed in the area as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The forest department is also seeking assistance from the state police’s Special Task Force to identify those responsible, officials said.

Investigators are examining whether the animal was shot with a traditional bharmar, a muzzle-loading firearm, or a country-made 12-bore gun. Forensic and ballistic examinations are expected to help determine the type of weapon used and provide evidence for the investigation.

The incident has renewed concerns about protecting cheetahs as they move outside designated protected habitats. The investigation's findings are expected to be significant for assessing security arrangements and addressing potential threats to the animals under India’s ongoing cheetah conservation programme.