New Delhi: The 19-month-old male cheetah that was brought to Kuno National Park for treatment after it was spotted injured in the Morena forest area in Madhya Pradesh on October 25 has died, local sources told The Wire. Sources who did not want to be named told The Wire that pellets were found in the abdomen of the cheetah, as a report by the Times of India also mentioned.On the night of October 27, Madhya Pradesh Chief Wildlife Warden Samita Rajora confirmed in a statement to the press that the 19-month-old male had died early that morning and that veterinarians retrieved five firearm pellets from its body.The Wire had reached out to the Kuno Field Director and the state’s Chief Wildlife Warden Samita Rajora for additional details and this article will be updated when responses are received.Park authorities in a statement on the night of October 26 had said that they had found the cheetah (a 19-month-old male, one of South African cheetah Nirva’s cubs) in the Morena territorial forest division, well outside the limits of Kuno National Park, on the evening of October 25. The animal had been injured and was under treatment at Kuno, the statement had said. It, however, did not mention the nature of injuries.The animal has now died, local sources told The Wire on the afternoon of October 27. Park authorities confirmed this many hours later, in a press statement. According to the report by Times of India, three or four metal pellets were found lodged in the abdomen of the cheetah. Local sources also confirmed this to The Wire.In her statement, Rajora admitted that five firearm pellets were retrieved from the cheetah’s body:“An initial X-ray revealed multiple foreign bodies at different locations within the cheetah’s body, and treatment was initiated accordingly. Following expert consultation, he was shifted to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, NDVSU, Jabalpur, for detailed investigation and intensive treatment.A subsequent CT scan revealed multiple foreign bodies causing damage to his internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Emergency surgery was performed, during which five firearm pellets were recovered from his body.”Rajora also said that the state government has constituted a Special Task Force (STF) comprising Forest and Police officers to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident.As per the ToI report, investigators are exploring whether the animal was shot with a bharmar, a traditional country-made muzzle loading firearm that is used in parts of central India including Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.Park authorities had said on October 26 that the State Tiger Strike Force had launched an inquiry into the incident, and that “all angles were being examined”, but had refused to comment on what these angles were.Meanwhile, local wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has called for a “strict probe” into the incident.Absolute negligence in Kuno!cheetah shot dead by poachers right under the nose of the forest authoritiesJust days ago, Kuno Director Uttam Sharma bragged about 24/7 high-tech satellite monitoring and bulletproof tracking teams. He must be immediately suspended! How did poachers get access to secret cheetah movement data?Dec 1947: Maharaja of Koriya hunted India’s last 3 cheetahs.Present: History repeats itself due to system failure & breach of security!We demand a strict probe! 🛑🐆#ProjectCheetah #KunoNationalPark #CheetahPoaching #JusticeForCheetahs #WildlifeProtection @CMMadhyaPradesh@PMOIndia @ntca_india @byadavbjp @moefcc @WCCBHQ— Ajay Dubey (@Ajaydubey9) October 27, 2026