World · India Bureau
Cheetah Cub Found Dead in Madhya Pradesh With Pellet Injuries
A young cheetah died in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district after sustaining injuries from pellet shots, wildlife officials said. The animal was discovered following reports of injury in a forest compartment.
LSN India ·
A cheetah cub identified as KNG22 was found dead in Compartment No. 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest in Madhya Pradesh, officials confirmed. A monitoring team discovered the injured animal on Sunday night after receiving alerts about the incident.
Post-mortem examination revealed five metal pellets embedded in the cub's body, suggesting the animal had been shot before its death. The discovery raises fresh concerns about poaching and illegal hunting in protected forest areas where cheetahs have been reintroduced as part of conservation efforts.
KNG22 was part of the state's ongoing cheetah reintroduction programme, which aims to restore the species to its historical habitat in central India. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation by forest and wildlife authorities.
The death marks a significant setback for wildlife managers overseeing the recovery of cheetahs in the region. Officials have intensified patrols in forest compartments following the incident to prevent further loss of the endangered population.
Photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases cheetahs into Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, September 2022. Prime Minister's Office, Government of India, via Wikimedia Commons (GODL-India).