Kuno cheetah cub dies after suspected shooting; CBI probe demanded
Synopsis
A 19-month-old cheetah cub at Kuno National Park has died after being found with metal pellets in its abdomen — the first suspected shooting of a cheetah since Project Cheetah's 2022 reintroduction. The incident has triggered demands for a CBI probe and exposes a critical gap in protecting the big cats when they roam outside sanctuary limits.
Key Takeaways
A 19-month-old male cheetah cub , offspring of female cheetah Nirva , died at Kuno National Park after being found with three to four metal pellets in its abdomen.
The cub was discovered injured on 25 October 2026 in Morena district bordering Sheopur , and later died despite treatment in Jabalpur .
This is reportedly the first suspected shooting of a cheetah since the species was reintroduced in India in September 2022 under Project Cheetah .
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has demanded a CBI probe and the removal of Kuno Field Director Uttam Sharma , DFO Thiru , and SDO Amritanshu .
The Special Tiger Strike Force (STSF) has been deployed; investigators are examining whether a bharmar or 12-bore gun was used.
A 19-month-old male cheetah cub at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park has died after being found with multiple metal pellets lodged in its abdomen in what is being treated as a suspected shooting incident, according to forest department sources. The cub, an offspring of female cheetah Nirva, was found injured on the evening of 25 October 2026 and died despite being shifted to a specialised medical facility in Jabalpur.
What Happened
A monitoring team discovered the injured cub while it was moving through the territorial forest division of Morena district, bordering Sheopur. The animal was rescued overnight and brought to Kuno for an initial examination before being transferred to Jabalpur for advanced treatment. Investigators found three to four metal pellets inside the cub's abdominal cavity. The animal did not survive despite medical intervention, sources confirmed.
Forensic and ballistic examinations are under way to establish the type of weapon used. Investigators are examining whether the cub was shot using a traditional bharmar — a muzzle-loading firearm — or a country-made 12-bore gun.
First Suspected Shooting Since Reintroduction
If confirmed, this would be the first reported incident of its kind involving a cheetah since the species was reintroduced in India in September 2022 under Project Cheetah. The incident has raised urgent questions about the safety of the big cats when they stray beyond protected habitat boundaries — a recurring vulnerability in the reintroduction programme.
Activist Demands CBI Probe and Official Removals
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has alleged negligence on the part of the forest department and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the suspected shooting. Dubey also sought the removal of Kuno Field Director Uttam Sharma, DFO Thiru, and SDO Amritanshu, holding the department responsible for failing to ensure the animal's safety.
'I had warned about such risks for years, but the Madhya Pradesh government turned a blind eye. There is no trust in the Kuno Field Director,' Dubey said, calling for an immediate CBI probe.
Security Response and Investigation
The Special Tiger Strike Force (STSF), a specialised wildlife protection unit, has been deployed in the area following the incident. The forest department is also seeking assistance from the state police's Special Task Force (STF) to identify those responsible. The incident poses a significant challenge to India's cheetah conservation programme and underscores the risks the animals face when roaming outside designated sanctuary boundaries.
Point of View
Yet the programme has been dogged by deaths since 2022 — and this incident suggests inadequate buffer zone management and community engagement. The demands for a CBI probe reflect a deeper trust deficit between wildlife authorities and independent observers. The harder question is structural: if cheetahs routinely stray into territorial forest divisions adjacent to human settlements without adequate deterrence protocols in place, the reintroduction programme cannot succeed regardless of how many cubs are born.
NationPress
27 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the cheetah cub at Kuno National Park?
A 19-month-old male cheetah cub at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh died after forest department sources found three to four metal pellets inside its abdominal cavity in a suspected shooting. The cub was discovered injured on 25 October 2026 in Morena district and died despite being shifted for specialised treatment in Jabalpur.
Is this the first time a cheetah has been shot in India since reintroduction?
According to reports, this is the first suspected shooting of a cheetah since the species was reintroduced in India in September 2022 under Project Cheetah. The incident is being treated as an unprecedented threat to the conservation programme.
Who is Ajay Dubey and what has he demanded?
Ajay Dubey is a wildlife activist who has demanded a CBI inquiry into the suspected shooting and the removal of Kuno Field Director Uttam Sharma, DFO Thiru, and SDO Amritanshu. He alleged that the Madhya Pradesh government ignored his repeated warnings about risks to the cheetahs' safety outside protected areas.
What weapon was used to shoot the cheetah cub?
Investigators are examining whether the cub was shot with a bharmar, a traditional muzzle-loading firearm, or a country-made 12-bore gun. Forensic and ballistic examinations are ongoing to establish the exact type of weapon used.
What steps are authorities taking after the cheetah cub's death?
The Special Tiger Strike Force has been deployed in the area, and the forest department is seeking assistance from the state police's Special Task Force to identify those responsible. Forensic and ballistic examinations are under way, and investigators are working to determine how the cub was shot while outside the park's protected boundary.
