Bhopal, Oct 27 A male cheetah found injured two days ago in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district died on Tuesday morning during treatment, with five firearm pellets recovered from its body, officials said.
The 19-month-old cheetah, ‘KNG22’, had been rescued on October 25 after being found injured in Compartment No. 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division.
It died early on Tuesday morning, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Sameeta Rajora said in a statement.
An initial X-ray revealed multiple foreign bodies at different locations inside the cheetah’s body, and treatment was initiated accordingly, said the statement. The animal was shifted to the Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU) Jabalpur on October 26 for intensive treatment, it said.
As per a statement issued by the university, the cheetah suffered from ‘hindlimb paraplegia’ or paralysis caused by injuries.
A CT scan showed “metallic foreign bodies” in its spine, the left shoulder region and the right lung, the statement said.
Five firearm pellets were successfully removed during a surgical procedure under general anesthesia, but the cheetah succumbed to its injuries at 5:10 AM despite the doctors’ efforts, it said.
The state government constituted a Special Task Force (STF) comprising forest and police officers to conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances leading to the animal’s injuries and death.
With this, the total cheetah population in India stands at 58 — 52 of them in the Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve — all in Madhya Pradesh.
(PTI News)
