A distressing incident has emerged from the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division of Madhya Pradesh, where a 19-month-old male cheetah identified as KNG22 died while undergoing medical treatment. Emergency surgical procedures conducted on the injured animal led to the recovery of five gun pellets embedded in its body. The discovery of firearm projectiles inside a protected big cat has raised critical questions regarding wildlife protection protocols and poaching threats in the region. In response, the state government has constituted a dedicated Special Task Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Rescue Operation and Initial Diagnosis
According to an official press release issued by the forest department, the young male cheetah was located in an injured condition on 25 October 2026 within compartment number 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division. The cub was identified as the 19-month-old offspring of the female cheetah Nirva. Forest officials immediately secured the area and initiated medical evaluations. Preliminary X-ray examinations revealed multiple foreign metal objects lodged in various parts of the cub's anatomy. Recognizing the severity of the trauma, officials arranged for the animal to be transferred to Jabalpur for specialized veterinary care.
Medical Trauma and Surgical Findings
The wounded cub was admitted to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU) in Jabalpur. Advanced CT scans conducted by the veterinary medical team uncovered alarming internal damage. The embedded metallic pellets had inflicted extensive trauma to the cheetah's internal organs, musculoskeletal system, and central nervous system. Surgeons performed an emergency operation to extract five gun pellets from the animal. Despite intensive medical intervention, the severe internal damage proved fatal, and the young cheetah succumbed to its injuries early in the morning.
Livestock Incident at Bamori Village
The circumstances surrounding the cheetah's injury appear closely linked to an incident reported in Bamori village, located in Sheopur district. At approximately 5:00 AM on Sunday, two cheetahs reportedly entered the courtyard of a home on the outskirts of the village and preyed upon two tethered calves. Shortly after this predation event, reports emerged regarding Nirva's injured 19-month-old cub, prompting swift mobilization by the forest department rescue team. It is suspected that the firearm attack occurred during or immediately after the livestock encounter.
Government Action and STF Formation
The confirmation of gunshot injuries on a reintroduced cheetah has put wildlife authorities under immense pressure. Addressing the grave nature of the incident, the Madhya Pradesh state government established a Special Task Force (STF) comprising senior forest officials and police officers. The STF has been tasked with conducting field investigations across the Sheopur forest range and Bamori village to identify the weapons used, trace suspected poachers or local perpetrators, and determine the exact sequence of events that led to the shooting.
Conservation Concerns and Current Population Status
The death has sparked strong criticism from environmental activists. RTI activist Ajay Dubey accused the state government and forest administration of negligence, claiming that an active leopard poaching network had been operating in the region for a considerable time without decisive law enforcement intervention.
Following this loss, India's total cheetah population stands at 58. Among these, 52 cheetahs are located in Kuno National Park, 4 reside in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, and 2 are housed at the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR). Movements of cheetahs outside designated sanctuary borders have been recorded previously, including a notable incident in which a Kuno cheetah strayed into the Ramgarh Crater area of Rajasthan's Baran district and preyed upon a domestic goat.
