Centre Joins Investigation Into Kuno Cheetah Cub's Death Following Alleged Shooting

A high-level central team has joined the investigation into the alleged shooting of a 19-month-old male cheetah cub at Kuno National Park, which Union government officials are viewing with utmost gravity. The cub, identified as KNG22 and part of the cheetah population reintroduced under Project Cheetah, died on October 27 following medical treatment.

Investigation and Central Team Deployment

The Union government deputed a central team comprising the Inspector General of Forests of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the additional director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and a WCCB regional deputy director. This team will examine circumstances, review protection measures around Kuno, and coordinate with the state forest department. They will report to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

• Special Task Force: A joint forest-police STF was formed on October 27 under an order signed by principal secretary (forest) Raghwendra Kumar Singh, with a report due around November 3.
• Suspects and Leads: Officials reported that several suspects have been questioned, and a couple has been rounded up for interrogation. Additionally, investigators are tracing a group of nomadic hunters who fled the area as the inquiry began.

Medical Evidence

Veterinarians at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU) in Jabalpur examined the cub after it arrived at 11:50 pm on October 26.

• CT Scan Findings: Scans revealed metallic foreign bodies in the spine, near the left shoulder, and in the right lung tissue.
• Surgical Removal: Under Professor and Head Dr Shobha Jawre and Professor Dr Randhir Singh, a team operated under general anaesthesia and removed five firearm pellets.
• Cause of Deterioration: The cub exhibited multiple wounds, hindlimb paralysis, and urinary retention before succumbing to its injuries at 5:10 am on October 27.

Historical Context

Official records note that the last known cheetah killing in India occurred in December 1947, when a Maharaja shot three cheetahs in the sal forests of Koriya (now a district in Chhattisgarh). India officially declared the cheetah extinct in 1952 before the species was reintroduced from Namibia in September 2022.

Authorities have not announced any formal arrests or identified the perpetrator in the current Kuno case. Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has filed a petition before the high court demanding a CBI inquiry, while Chief wildlife warden Samita Rajora traveled to Kuno to coordinate with the probe team. Readers can verify official updates through state forest department announcements or central wildlife ministry releases.