Centre sends NTCA-WCCB team after Kuno cheetah cub dies of gunshot pellet injuries
In one line: A young cheetah, KNG22, died on 27 October 2026 of firearm pellet injuries outside Kuno, prompting a central NTCA-WCCB investigation and fresh questions about Project Cheetah.
Published 29 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
A 19-month-old male cheetah, KNG22, an offspring of the cheetah Nirva, died on 27 October 2026 after being found with firearm pellet injuries outside Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The cub was found injured on 25 October in a territorial forest area outside the park's protected boundary and was taken for emergency treatment to a veterinary facility in Jabalpur. Surgeons removed five firearm pellets, but the cheetah died of multiple internal injuries. It is the first reported death of a cheetah by gunfire since the species was reintroduced to India under Project Cheetah in September 2022.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change sent a high-level central team to investigate. It comprises the Inspector General of Forests of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and an Additional Director and a Regional Deputy Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB). The team will work with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and a Special Task Force of forest and police officers set up by the State government to find out how the animal was shot and who was responsible. After the death, India has 58 cheetahs: 52 in Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, all in Madhya Pradesh.
The killing raises the central difficulty of Project Cheetah: cheetahs range widely and often leave protected areas, entering farmland and village forests where they may meet hostile people, snares or guns. Supporters of the project point to cubs born in India and the spread to new sites such as Gandhi Sagar as signs of progress. Critics have long argued that Kuno is too small for a free-ranging population and that the project depends on intensive monitoring that cannot cover every animal outside the park. The investigation is also expected to review security and monitoring protocols.
Prelims facts
- Cheetah KNG22, a 19-month-old male and offspring of Nirva, died on 27 October 2026 after five firearm pellets were found in its body.
- It is the first reported gunfire death of a cheetah since Project Cheetah began in September 2022.
- A central team from the NTCA and the WCCB is investigating, alongside a Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force of forest and police officers.
- India now has 58 cheetahs: 52 in Kuno, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
- The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952.
Quick recall
- Which cheetah died of gunshot pellet injuries in October 2026?
- KNG22, a 19-month-old male, offspring of Nirva.
- How many pellets were removed from KNG22?
- Five firearm pellets.
- Which bodies are on the central investigation team?
- The NTCA and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
- How many cheetahs does India have after KNG22's death?
- 58: 52 in Kuno, four in Gandhi Sagar, two in Veerangana Durgavati.
- When was the cheetah declared extinct in India?
- 1952.
- When were the first cheetahs released at Kuno?
- 17 September 2022, eight from Namibia.
- When did 12 cheetahs arrive from South Africa?
- February 2023.
- In which district is Kuno National Park?
- Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh.
Prelims practice question
With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements:
1. The first cheetahs released under the project were brought from Namibia in September 2022.
2. As of October 2026, all of India's cheetahs are in Madhya Pradesh.
3. The cheetahs brought to India belong to the Asiatic subspecies.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statement 1 is correct: eight cheetahs from Namibia were released at Kuno on 17 September 2022. Statement 2 is correct: the 58 cheetahs are in Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati, all in Madhya Pradesh. Statement 3 is wrong: the animals came from Namibia and South Africa and are African cheetahs; the Asiatic cheetah survives only in Iran.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Species reintroduction, wildlife crime and biodiversity conservation in India
- How to use this
Offers Project Cheetah as an example of an Indian species-recovery initiative, and the KNG22 shooting as evidence that protection outside parks is the weak link.
- Project Cheetah, begun in September 2022, has built a population of 58 cheetahs across Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati.
- The shooting of cheetah KNG22 outside Kuno in October 2026 led to a central NTCA-WCCB probe, showing enforcement gaps.
Theme-related: the story concerns fauna conservation, but the question centres on the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which this case does not involve.
Mains practice question
The death of a cheetah from gunshot injuries outside Kuno National Park exposes the limits of reintroducing a wide-ranging carnivore into a crowded landscape. Discuss, and suggest measures to secure Project Cheetah's future. (250 words)
Model answer
On 27 October 2026 cheetah KNG22, a 19-month-old male, died after five firearm pellets were removed from its body; it had been found injured outside Kuno National Park. It is the first reported gunfire death since Project Cheetah began in September 2022.
Limits exposed
- Ranging behaviour: cheetahs need large open landscapes and routinely leave protected areas.
- Human-dominated surroundings: farmland and village forests bring guns, snares and conflict.
- Monitoring gaps: collars and tracking teams cannot cover every animal at all times.
- Habitat size: critics argue Kuno alone cannot hold a free-ranging population.
Progress so far
- India has 58 cheetahs: 52 in Kuno, four in Gandhi Sagar and two in Veerangana Durgavati.
- Cubs born in India show the animals can breed here.
Measures needed
- Investigation and deterrence: the NTCA-WCCB team and the State's Special Task Force must trace the culprits; prosecution under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 signals deterrence.
- Landscape approach: manage corridors and buffer areas across Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and neighbouring forests, with more release sites.
- Community stake: compensation for livestock loss, local employment as trackers, awareness drives.
- Better monitoring protocols: rapid response teams for animals that stray, as the investigation is to review.
- Science-led review: publish population and mortality data and adjust the action plan.
Conclusion
Project Cheetah can succeed only if the landscape outside the park becomes as safe as the park itself.
The basics
Why this matters
Project Cheetah is India's first attempt to bring back a large carnivore that had gone extinct in the country. UPSC asks about its sites, its source countries and the bodies that run it, and Mains questions on conservation can use it as an example of both ambition and risk. The shooting of cheetah KNG22 outside Kuno in October 2026 brings the risks into focus.
A species lost and returned
The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. Hunting and loss of grassland habitat had wiped it out. Under Project Cheetah, India brought in African cheetahs, which belong to a different subspecies from the Asiatic cheetah that once lived here.
- 1952Cheetah declared extinct in India
- January 2022Action plan for reintroduction published
- 17 September 2022Eight cheetahs from Namibia released at Kuno
- February 202312 cheetahs arrive from South Africa
- 27 October 2026Cub KNG22 dies of firearm pellet injuries
Where the cheetahs live now
Kuno National Park in Sheopur district is the main site. Cheetahs have also been moved to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
Who protects them
Two statutory bodies under the Environment Ministry lead the central response. The National Tiger Conservation Authority is the technical body for Project Cheetah. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau fights organised wildlife crime and helps States investigate poaching. Inside States, the Chief Wildlife Warden and forest department run day-to-day protection.
- 1NTCAInspector General of Forests on the central team
- 2WCCBAdditional Director and Regional Deputy Director on the central team
- 3Madhya Pradesh Special Task ForceForest and police officers tracing how the cheetah was shot
- 4MP Forest DepartmentField protection and coordination
The core problem
Cheetahs are built for open country and roam far. Kuno is surrounded by farms and villages, so animals that stray meet people, livestock and sometimes guns. Hunting a cheetah is an offence under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, where the species is in Schedule I, the highest level of protection. Laws deter only if offenders are caught, which is why the central investigation matters.
Go deeper
Why it matters for UPSC
Project Cheetah is a favourite Prelims topic (sites, source countries, agencies) and a useful Mains example for species reintroduction, human-wildlife conflict and wildlife crime.
The core idea
Project Cheetah brought African cheetahs to Kuno National Park from 2022. Cheetahs range widely, and when they leave the park they enter human-dominated land. KNG22 was shot there. The National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau now lead the central probe, and any offender faces the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Numbers and dates to remember
- 1952: cheetah declared extinct in India
- 17 September 2022: eight Namibian cheetahs released at Kuno
- February 2023: 12 cheetahs from South Africa
- 25 October 2026: KNG22 found injured; 27 October: dies
- 5: firearm pellets removed
- 58 cheetahs: 52 Kuno, 4 Gandhi Sagar, 2 Veerangana Durgavati
Where to go next
- Project Cheetah: the reintroduction programme
- Kuno National Park: the main release site
- National Tiger Conservation Authority: the technical lead
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau: the anti-poaching agency
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: the law that protects cheetahs
Go deeper: Is Project Cheetah working?
The case for. The project has moved from a handful of imported animals to 58 cheetahs across three sites in Madhya Pradesh, with cubs born in India. It aims to restore a top grassland predator and draw attention to neglected savanna and open-forest ecosystems. See Project Cheetah.
The case against. Critics argue that Kuno National Park is too small for free-ranging cheetahs, that the animals keep leaving it, and that intensive management (enclosures, collars, veterinary care) makes the population dependent rather than wild. Deaths of adults and cubs since 2023 have fed these doubts. The shooting of KNG22 adds a new threat: direct human hostility outside the park.
Law and enforcement. Killing a Schedule I animal is a serious offence under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau brings intelligence and forensic support, and the National Tiger Conservation Authority can review monitoring protocols. The outcome of this probe will show whether enforcement can reach beyond park boundaries.
Way forward. A landscape plan linking Kuno and Gandhi Sagar, community benefits for villagers living near cheetah habitat, and transparent publication of mortality data would strengthen the project's credibility.
Project Cheetah
The reintroduction programme behind the news
In one line: Project Cheetah is India's programme, launched on 17 September 2022, to reintroduce cheetahs decades after the species was declared extinct here in 1952.
How it began
After a scientific assessment of possible sites, an action plan was published in January 2022. Eight cheetahs from Namibia were released at Kuno on 17 September 2022, and 12 more arrived from South Africa in February 2023. These are African cheetahs; the Asiatic subspecies survives only in Iran.
Where it stands
After the death of KNG22 in October 2026, India has 58 cheetahs: 52 in Kuno, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve. The project now faces the question of protecting animals outside parks.
Where to go next
Kuno National Park
The main release site, and its limits
In one line: Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, is the main home of India's reintroduced cheetahs.
The site
Kuno has open grassland and dry deciduous forest, which made it the first choice for cheetah release. It was earlier studied as a possible second home for Asiatic lions from Gir.
Why it is in the news
Cheetahs often leave Kuno and wander into surrounding territorial forests and farmland, as KNG22 did before it was found injured. Critics say the park is too small for a free-ranging population; the government has added Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati as further sites.
Where to go next
National Tiger Conservation Authority
The statutory body that runs Project Cheetah's technical side
In one line: The NTCA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that oversees Project Tiger and tiger reserves.
Its legal basis
It gets its status from the 2006 amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which added a chapter on tiger conservation. The Union Environment Minister chairs it. It approves tiger conservation plans, sets standards for tiger reserves and conducts the tiger census with partners.
Role in Project Cheetah
The NTCA is the technical lead for the cheetah project. Its Inspector General of Forests is part of the central team investigating KNG22's death and the security and monitoring protocols around it.
Where to go next
National Tiger Conservation Authority: every story that connects to it (2)
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
The agency that investigates poaching and wildlife trade
In one line: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is a statutory body under the Environment Ministry, constituted in 2007 to combat organised wildlife crime.
What it does
It collects intelligence on poaching and illegal wildlife trade, builds a crime database, coordinates with State forest and police departments, customs and international agencies, and assists in investigations and prosecutions. It is set up under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Why it is in the news
An Additional Director and a Regional Deputy Director of the WCCB are on the central team probing how cheetah KNG22 was shot outside Kuno. Their role is to help trace the shooters and strengthen the case.
Where to go next
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau: every story that connects to it (2)
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
The law that makes killing a cheetah a serious offence
In one line: The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 is India's main law for protecting wild animals and plants, setting up protected areas and banning hunting of listed species.
Key features
It lists species in Schedules with different levels of protection; Schedule I species get the highest protection and the heaviest penalties. It provides for national parks, sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves. Amendments created the NTCA (2006) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and a 2022 amendment rationalised the Schedules.
Why it is in the news
The cheetah is a Schedule I animal, so whoever shot KNG22 faces prosecution under this Act. The case will test enforcement outside protected areas, where most human-wildlife encounters happen.
Where to go next
Take the 29 October 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers