Cheetah dies with 5 pellets in body, Centre sends probe team to Kuno

The male cheetah, identified as KNG22, belonged to Kuno National Park and died on October 27 after emergency surgery, according to a release from the Press Information Bureau.

The government said it had taken "serious note" of the death, citing the importance of Project Cheetah and the need to protect the reintroduced population.

What happened

The cheetah, an offspring of the female Nirva, was found injured on October 25 in territorial forests in Morena, outside the protected area of Kuno.

The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department said it was rescued from the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division the same day and given intensive veterinary care at a facility in Jabalpur.

Doctors recovered five firearm pellets from its body during surgery, the release said.

The cheetah died on October 27 despite treatment, and medical examinations confirmed multiple internal injuries associated with the pellets, according to the government.

Centre launches investigation

The central team consists of the Inspector General of Forests of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, an Additional Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and a Regional Deputy Director of the bureau.

It has been asked to examine the circumstances of the death and all available evidence, and to work with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department so that action is "strict and swift," the release said.

The state government has already formed a Special Task Force of forest and police officers to investigate the incident.

The central team will also review security protocols and the monitoring and protection measures in place to prevent a repeat, the government said.

It will report its findings and recommendations to the Environment Ministry, which will then give further directions to the state government and field authorities.