Sheopur: Two brothers have been arrested in connection with the shooting of a cheetah in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district last month. Forest officials said on Monday that the firearm allegedly used in the incident, a double-barrel muzzle-loading gun, has also been recovered.
The 19-month-old Indian-born cheetah, identified as Kuno Nirva Gaurav (KNG-22), was found seriously injured in compartment number 748 of the Sheopur forest division on October 25. Despite receiving medical treatment for two days, the animal succumbed to its injuries, Cheetah Project Director Uttam Sharma told PTI from Kuno.
During a surgical procedure, veterinarians discovered firearm pellets lodged in the cheetah’s body, confirming that it had been shot. Following the incident, the Madhya Pradesh government formed a four-member Special Task Force comprising forest department and police personnel to investigate the killing.
The arrests and recovery of the weapon mark a significant development in the investigation.
