A 19-month-old male cheetah cub roaming in the wild in the Morena territorial forest division was found injured by a monitoring team on Sunday evening, prompting the chief wildlife warden to dispatch a State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) team to investigate the incident.
Preliminary assessment revealed injuries on its back, raising suspicion that the animal may have been struck by someone. This is the first reported attack on a cheetah since the species’ reintroduction in India. Given concerns over wildlife security, particularly in the wake of leopard poaching incidents reported in the region over the past year, the forest department has deployed the STSF to probe the cause of the injuries and examine any possible links to organised poaching networks.
“The cheetah has sustained injuries on its back and is currently undergoing treatment. Notably, three cheetahs are currently roaming in the Pahargarh range, where the injured cub was found. The area has been considered one of the most favourable habitats for free-ranging cheetahs. “At this stage, we are examining all possible angles regarding the circumstances that led to the cheetah’s condition.
On July 23, the Uttar Pradesh forest department seized 10 leopard skins in Agra. Seven accused, all tribals from Sheopur district, allegedly confessed to poaching 10 leopards from the Kuno Wildlife Division, Sheopur Forest Division and the Chambal Sanctuary in Morena.
Prima facie, the wounds suggest it may have been hit by someone,” said Samita Rajora, Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh. This is a serious matter, as the safety and security of cheetahs are of utmost importance, especially after the leopard-poaching nexus was busted in Sheopur and Morena,” Rajora said. The cub, born to female cheetah Nirva, was rescued on Sunday night and shifted to Kuno National Park for medical examination and treatment.
The STSF will conduct the investigation along with the divisional forest officer, Morena and the field director of Kuno National Park. Three cheetahs are housed in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, while two have been shifted to the Virangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Damoh district. Under India’s cheetah reintroduction programme, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia in September 2022, followed by 20 from South Africa in February 2023. So far, 58 cubs have been born in Kuno, of which 40 have survived. At present, 54 cheetahs are in Kuno National Park and its surrounding landscape.
Earlier this year, nine more cheetahs were translocated from Botswana.
