The Environment Ministry has sent a central team to Madhya Pradesh after a 19-month-old cheetah died of firearm pellet injuries, in a fresh test for Project Cheetah.

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• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said on Wednesday, October 28, that the Centre has deputed a high-level team to probe the death of a 19-month-old male cheetah, KNG22.
• KNG22, an offspring of the cheetah Nirva, was found injured on October 25 in the territorial forests of Morena, outside the protected area of Kuno National Park.
• The cheetah received intensive veterinary care and underwent emergency surgery at a veterinary facility in Jabalpur.
• Five firearm pellets were recovered from its body, and medical examinations confirmed multiple internal injuries linked to them.
• The cheetah died of its injuries on October 27.
• India's total cheetah population now stands at 58.
• The central team comprises the Inspector General of Forests of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Additional Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Bureau's Regional Deputy Director.
• It will examine the circumstances of the death and all available evidence, and coordinate with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department for strict and swift action.
• The team will also review the implementation of security protocols and the monitoring and protection measures in place.
• It will submit its findings and recommendations to the Ministry, which will then give directions to the state government and field authorities.
• The Madhya Pradesh government has already formed a Special Task Force of forest and police officers, and the central team will work in coordination with it.
• The incident comes as Project Cheetah expands beyond Kuno to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, where cheetahs were introduced on October 7.