The cub was first rescued from the Pahargarh range in Morena and brought to Kuno National Park, where it died during treatment.
Published: October 27, 2026, 11:40 PM IST
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https://www.india.com/news/india/pellets-extracted-from-deceased-cheetah-at-kuno-wildlife-officials-launch-investigation-8539878/
A cheetah cub died in Madhya Pradesh after being shotFile image
A male cheetah found injured two days ago in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district died on Tuesday morning during treatment, with five firearm pellets recovered from its body, officials said.
The 19-month-old cheetah, ‘KNG22’, had been rescued on October 25 after being found injured in Compartment No748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division.
It died early on Tuesday morning, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Sameeta Rajora said in a statement.
An initial X-ray revealed multiple foreign bodies at different locations inside the cheetah’s body, and treatment was initiated accordingly, said the statementThe animal was shifted to the Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU) Jabalpur on October 26 for intensive treatment, it said.
As per a statement issued by the university, the cheetah suffered from ‘hindlimb paraplegia’ or paralysis caused by injuries.
Veterinary doctor Shibha Javre said, “The scan revealed multiple metallic foreign bodies in the body of the lumbar vertebra (L1), in the region between the first lumbar (L1) and thirteenth thoracic (T13) vertebrae and ventral to the T13 vertebraTwo metallic foreign bodies were also detected in the subcutaneous tissues near the left shoulder region, and another was located within the parenchyma of the right lungEmergency surgery was performed, during which five firearm pellets were recovered from his bodyThe cheetah succumbed to injuries on Tuesday morning.”
A CT scan showed “metallic foreign bodies” in its spine, the left shoulder region and the right lung, the statement said.
Five firearm pellets were successfully removed during a surgical procedure under general anesthesia, but the cheetah succumbed to its injuries at 5:10 AM despite the doctors’ efforts, it said.
The state government constituted a Special Task Force (STF) comprising forest and police officers to conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances leading to the animal’s injuries and death.
With this, the total cheetah population in India stands at 58 — 52 of them in the Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve — all in Madhya Pradesh.
