🐅 Environment
Centre orders probe after young Kuno cheetah dies of firearm pellet injuries
In 60 seconds: The Union environment ministry has ordered a high-level probe after a 19-month-old male cheetah from Kuno National Park died of injuries from firearm pellets. The cheetah, KNG22, born to the female Nirva, was found injured on 25 October in a forest area outside the park. Five pellets were removed during surgery in Jabalpur, but he died on 27 October. Madhya Pradesh has also set up a special task force.
Why it matters
Project Cheetah is the world's first intercontinental move of a large wild cat. A shooting death raises questions about how cheetahs are protected once they roam outside the park.
Explain it simply
A chai stall owner who lets his cat roam the lane must also make sure the street is safe. Kuno's cheetahs now roam beyond the park, where watching over them is much harder.
The 3-minute read
What happened
The cheetah was rescued from the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division. An X-ray showed several foreign objects, and a CT scan showed damage to internal organs, muscles, bones and nerves.
Background
India now has 58 cheetahs: 52 in Kuno, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
How it works
The central team includes officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. It will examine the evidence and review security, monitoring and protection measures.
What's next
The team will report to the ministry. Activists have demanded a CBI inquiry, but authorities have not confirmed that poaching was involved.
What it means for you
Killing or injuring a cheetah, a Schedule I animal, is a serious crime. People living near forests can report wildlife injuries or poaching to the forest department.
Key numbers
- 58: Cheetahs in India now
- 52: Cheetahs in Kuno
- 5: Pellets removed in surgery
Both sides
- The government: Given the importance of Project Cheetah, a high-level team will examine what went wrong.
- Wildlife experts: It is too early to conclude, but the death raises doubts about round-the-clock monitoring and whether Kuno is big enough.
Key terms explained
- Firearm pellets
- Small metal balls fired from a gun, often a shotgun.
- Special task force
- A team set up for one specific investigation or job.
The story so far
- 17 Sep 2022: Eight cheetahs from Namibia released in Kuno. Seventy years after the cheetah was declared extinct in India, eight cheetahs from Namibia were released into Kuno National Park under Project Cheetah.
- Feb 2023: Twelve more cheetahs arrive from South Africa. In February 2023, twelve cheetahs were flown in from South Africa to Kuno to add to the population.
- Apr 2025: Gandhi Sagar becomes the second home for cheetahs. In April 2025, two cheetahs were shifted from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, the project's second site.
- Today: Kuno cheetah dies of pellet wounds; Centre orders probe
Exam notes (UPSC, SSC, Banking, PSC)
- The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952.
- Kuno National Park is in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
- Project Cheetah is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) with the state forest department.
- The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is a statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Likely exam question: What are the main challenges facing Project Cheetah? Suggest ways to protect cheetahs that roam outside protected areas.