Prelims
The Death of Cheetah Cub KNG22
Context: A 19-month-old cheetah cub, identified as KNG22, after veterinarians retrieved five firearm pellets from its body following a rescue outside Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
About The Death of Cheetah Cub KNG22:
What it is?
- The first documented poaching/shooting mortality under India’s cheetah reintroduction KNG22 was an India-born cub of female cheetah Nirva, belonging to the surviving free-ranging cohort of big cats re-establishing populations across central Indian landscapes.
Incident Site: The cheetah cub was found critically injured in Compartment 748 of Morena Territorial Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh, outside Kuno National Park’s protected core.
Background:
- The cub was found injured on October 25, 2026, with severe gunshot injuries and died on October 27, despite treatment. Its death raised Project Cheetah fatalities to 26, marking the first reported death due to human gunfire.
Monitoring and Protection Measures:
- VHF/Satellite Radio Collars: Enable real-time location tracking and movement monitoring of free-ranging cheetahs, helping forest teams detect dispersal beyond protected boundaries.
- Drone and Aerial Surveillance: Facilitate monitoring of cheetahs across inaccessible forests, ravines and scrublands, strengthening tracking and anti-poaching surveillance outside national parks.
- Cheetah Mitras Network: Mobilises over 350 trained village volunteers to report sightings, promote conservation awareness and reduce human–cheetah conflicts.
- Perimeter Fencing and Predator Bomas: Uses fenced enclosures and protective barriers, including facilities at Gandhi Sagar and Madhav, to manage cheetah movement and dispersal.
Implications:
- Highlights poaching risks beyond protected areas, where cheetahs encounter agricultural settlements and territorial forests with comparatively weaker wildlife protection.
- Exposes the dangers of unlicensed guns and improvised crop-protection weapons in villages bordering cheetah habitats, increasing human-induced mortality risks.
- Underscores expanding Kuno’s conservation landscape towards 1,800 sq. km and securing wildlife corridors linking Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati reserves.
