First Cheetah Killing Since 1947: Centre Launches Probe As Kuno Project Loses Cub To Gunfire

Bhopal: A 19-month-old male cheetah, KNG22, has died after sustaining firearm pellet injuries in Madhya Pradesh, prompting the Union Government to send a high-level central team to investigate the incident on the ground. The move comes as the state government has already constituted a Special Task Force (STF) comprising forest and police officers to establish how the animal was injured.   

The central team includes the Inspector General of Forests from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Additional Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and the Regional Deputy Director of the WCCB. According to the Government of India, the team will examine the circumstances surrounding the cheetah's death, review available evidence and coordinate with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department to ensure strict and swift action.

KNG22 was rescued on October 25 after being found injured in a forest compartment under the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division. Despite emergency medical intervention, the cheetah died early Wednesday, October 28. 

Five Firearm Pellets Recovered During Emergency Surgery

The cheetah was initially found with serious injuries in Compartment No. 748. An X-ray revealed multiple foreign bodies lodged at different locations inside its body, following which treatment was started.

Further examination through a CT scan showed that the foreign bodies had damaged the animal's internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Doctors subsequently performed emergency surgery and recovered five firearm pellets. However, the injuries proved fatal.

In a statement, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh confirmed the death, stating, “KNG22, a 19-month-old male cheetah, who was rescued on 25 October 2026 after being found injured in Compartment No. 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division, died early this morning. An initial X-ray revealed multiple foreign bodies at different locations within the cheetah's body, and treatment was initiated accordingly.”

The official statement further read, “A subsequent CT scan revealed multiple foreign bodies causing damage to his internal organs, musculoskeletal system, and nervous system. Emergency surgery was performed, during which five firearm pellets were recovered from his body,”

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. While suspected poaching or shooting has prompted serious concern, the precise circumstances leading to the injuries are yet to be established.

Centre Steps In As Madhya Pradesh Orders STF Probe

The addition of the central team brings another level to the investigation into the cheetah's death.  Its mandate includes at on-ground assessment, examination of evidence, and coordinate with local government officials to determine what to do next.   

Seperately, the Madhya Pradesh government has created a special team made up of forest and police staff to carry out a thorough investigation.  The investigation is supposed to figure out how KNG22 got hurt by the gun and find out who might be responsible if there's any connection. 

The incident has raised concerns about Project Cheetah, which is India's effort to bring the cheetah back after it became extinct in the country.  The program started in September 2022 with eight cheetahs being brought from Namibia, and then twelve more from South Africa. 

KNG22's death is being reported as the first known fatal shooting of a cheetah since the reintroduction programme began. The country's last known wild cheetahs were hunted in 1947 by Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya, in present-day Chhattisgarh, before the species was declared extinct in India.

How The Shooting Affects Project Cheetah

The death has brought more focus on the safety of cheetahs that live in and around their protected areas. Kuno National Park is still the main place where India is bringing back cheetahs, and some of these animals are also living in other protected areas. 

According to numbers given by the Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh, the total number of cheetahs in India was 58 after the event.  Of these, 52 were in Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve. 

The Forest Department is also looking into the injuries of another 19-month-old male cheetah cub, who was mentioned in a previous update as Nirva.  A baby lion, who is the son of a female cheetah named Nirva at Kuno National Park, was found hurt in the Morena territorial forest area. 

After getting news about the cub's health on the evening of October 25, the monitoring team saved it that same night and took it to Kuno National Park for care.  The department is currently investigating the circumstances that led to the injuries, but the cause has not been determined. 

Now that the central team is involved in the investigation into KNG22's death, officials need to figure out how the cheetah got the deadly gun injuries and if the event was related to poaching or some other type of shooting.