Centre Forms Panel to Probe Death of Young Cheetah in M.P.’s Kuno, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• The Union government has formed a high-level, three-member committee to investigate the death of a 19-month-old cheetah cub in Madhya Pradesh.
• The cub died from gunshot injuries outside the boundaries of the Kuno National Park in Morena district.
• This incident marks the first reported killing of a cheetah by gunfire since the species' reintroduction under Project Cheetah in 2022.
• The committee, comprising officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), will coordinate with the state and review security protocols.

Detailed Insights:

• The deceased cheetah cub, identified as KNG22 and an offspring of cheetah Nirva, was found injured in the Pahargarh range of the Morena Territorial Forest Division.
• Medical examinations confirmed multiple internal injuries from five firearm pellets, leading to its death on October 27.
• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change emphasized the gravity of the incident, given the critical importance of Project Cheetah.
• The central team will work with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and a state-constituted special task force to ensure swift action and examine existing monitoring and protection measures.
• This incident raises concerns about the safety of cheetahs that stray outside protected areas and the effectiveness of monitoring efforts.
• As of October 27, 2026, India's cheetah population stands at 58, with 52 in Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Project Cheetah: India's flagship program launched in 2022 to reintroduce cheetahs, declared extinct in the country in 1952, by translocating African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa.
• Kuno National Park: Located in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, it is the primary site for cheetah reintroduction in India, known for its grassland-savanna habitat.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, established in 2005, responsible for strengthening tiger conservation and overseeing Project Tiger.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB): A statutory multi-disciplinary body established in 2007 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to combat organized wildlife crime.