The 19‑month‑old male cheetah, identified as KNG22, was hauled to Kuno National Park after a monitoring team flagged serious wounds in Compartment No. 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division.
X‑ray and CT scans revealed multiple foreign bodies, including five metallic fragments that matched the shape of firearm pellets, damaging internal organs, musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Veterinarians performed emergency surgery, but the animal succumbed early Tuesday morning.
Dr Sameeta Rajora, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said the death leaves the country with 58 cheetahs, 52 at Kuno, four at Gandhi Sagar, and two at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve. The state government has constituted a Special Task Force of forest and police officers to investigate how the injuries were inflicted.
Local forest guard Ramesh Singh, who first spotted the wounded animal, described a distinct bullet mark on the carcass and urged stricter anti‑poaching patrols. The investigation is expected to conclude by the end of next month.