Bhopal:
A 19-month-old male cheetah rescued with serious injuries from a forest in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district has died during treatment, with five firearm pellets recovered from its body, prompting the state government to constitute a Special Task Force to investigate the death.
The cheetah, identified as KNG22, was rescued Sunday night after a monitoring team received information that the animal had been injured in Compartment No. 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division. It was subsequently brought to Kuno National Park for medical treatment, but died early on Tuesday morning, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Sameeta Rajora said in a statement.
The cheetah was the 19-month-old male offspring of Nirva, a female cheetah at Kuno National Park. An initial X-ray revealed multiple foreign bodies lodged at different locations inside its body, following which veterinarians began treatment, the Forest Department said.
After consultations with experts, the animal was shifted to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur for detailed investigation and intensive treatment.
A subsequent CT scan revealed that the foreign bodies had damaged the cheetah's internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Emergency surgery was performed, during which five firearm pellets were recovered.
"Despite surgical intervention and sustained efforts by the veterinary team, the male cheetah could not be saved," the statement said.
The state government has constituted a Special Task Force comprising forest and police officers to investigate how the cheetah sustained its injuries and establish the circumstances that led to its death. Officials are examining all possible aspects of the incident, although the exact cause of the injuries has not yet been established.
The death brings down India's cheetah population to 58, with 52 animals at Kuno National Park, four at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, all in Madhya Pradesh.