2 brothers arrested for allegedly shooting dead cheetah in Madhya Pradesh

KNG-22 was a 19-month-old male cheetah that died after being shot in a forest outside Kuno National Park. He was found injured on October 25 and died early on October 27 after treatment in Kuno and Jabalpur. Five pellets were removed during emergency surgery.

The Special Task Force arrested two brothers, Bhagwan Singh and Pritam Singh, residents of Morena district. Investigators allege they were hunting near Nitanwas village in Sheopur district when they fired at the cheetah. Bhagwan Singh was arrested first, and information from his interrogation led investigators to his brother.

The STF said it later recovered the licensed double-barrelled country firearm from a forest area in Morena district. The brothers were due to appear before a court in Vijaypur on November 2. A case was registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, but investigators found no evidence of organised wildlife crime or illegal wildlife trade.

KNG-22 was a male cheetah cub born to Nirva, making him part of India’s reintroduced cheetah population. The article identifies him as 19 months old at the time of his death. He was not found inside Kuno National Park, but in the territorial forest division of Morena, outside the park’s boundary.

A monitoring team found KNG-22 injured on October 25. That night, officials took him to Kuno National Park for care. He was later shifted to Jabalpur for advanced treatment, where a CT scan showed damage to his internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. He died early on October 27.

His connection to Kuno was therefore both biological and operational. He belonged to the wider cheetah population associated with the reintroduction programme, and Kuno served as his first treatment centre after the shooting. His death reduced India’s cheetah population to 58.

Investigators linked the brothers to the shooting through information obtained after Bhagwan Singh’s arrest. The STF said he told investigators that he and his brother had been hunting near Nitanwas village when they fired at the cheetah. That statement formed the central allegation against the pair.

The alleged mechanism was a licensed double-barrelled country firearm. After questioning the accused, investigators took them to the site and recovered the weapon from a forest area in Morena district. The recovery supported the account that a firearm had been used. Doctors also recovered five pellets from KNG-22 during emergency surgery.

The article does not report a forensic test matching those pellets to the recovered firearm. It also does not describe eyewitness testimony. The case rests on the interrogation information, the brothers’ alleged presence during hunting, and the weapon recovery. Both men were arrested and faced proceedings under the Wildlife Protection Act.

The article reports that India had 58 cheetahs after KNG-22 died. This figure covers the three locations listed in the report. Kuno National Park held the largest group, with 52 cheetahs, making it the main centre of the country’s cheetah population.

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary held four cheetahs. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve held two. Together, those numbers total six outside Kuno, while Kuno’s 52 bring the national figure to 58. The distribution shows that most of the animals remained concentrated in one national park.

These figures provide a snapshot after KNG-22’s death, rather than a permanent count. Cheetahs can move between protected and surrounding landscapes, and the article specifically describes KNG-22 outside Kuno when he was injured. Monitoring and investigations therefore matter beyond reserve boundaries, especially as the population expands across several sites.

India’s Wildlife Protection Act makes unlawful hunting or killing of protected wildlife a criminal offence. If convicted, a person can face imprisonment and a fine. The precise punishment depends on the animal’s legal protection, the section charged, prior offences and the facts proved in court. This is established legal context beyond the article’s details.

In this case, the STF registered a case against Bhagwan Singh and Pritam Singh under the Act. The agency said the brothers allegedly shot KNG-22 while hunting, using a licensed double-barrelled country firearm. Their arrest does not establish guilt; a court must assess the evidence and decide the case.

Possible consequences can also include seizure or forfeiture of equipment connected with the offence, subject to legal procedure. The article does not state the exact sections, sentencing range or any additional charges. It says the brothers were due to be produced before a court in Vijaypur on November 2, where the legal process would continue.

Protected areas reduce risks by concentrating conservation staff, surveillance and wildlife rules in a managed space. When a cheetah moves beyond those boundaries, it can enter forests or farmland where security may be weaker and human activity higher. This creates risks for the animal and can make nearby people uncertain about how to respond.

KNG-22 was found in Morena’s territorial forest division, outside Kuno National Park. The STF said two men were allegedly hunting in nearby forests when the cheetah was shot. The incident illustrates one direct danger: a roaming animal may be mistaken for game, deliberately targeted or encountered by people without effective wildlife protection measures.

Other established risks include conflict around livestock, roads and settlements, although the article does not report those specific events here. The government response shows the wider challenge. It created a task force and examined security arrangements for cheetahs moving outside protected areas.

Reintroduced species need more than a protected enclosure. Protected areas provide managed habitat and focused protection, while habitat connectivity allows animals to move between suitable areas for food, shelter and breeding. Connected landscapes can reduce isolation, but they also require cooperation across administrative boundaries. These conservation principles are established knowledge beyond the article.

Monitoring systems such as radio collars add a practical safety layer. A collar can help teams reconstruct an animal’s route, locate it after an incident and identify where protection needs improvement. Investigators examined KNG-22’s collar data to reconstruct his movements before he was found injured in Morena’s territorial forest division.

The case shows why these tools matter together. KNG-22 moved outside Kuno, where he was allegedly shot during a hunting trip. After his death, Madhya Pradesh created a task force, while a Union Environment Ministry team examined security for cheetahs outside protected areas. Future conservation will depend on linking habitat, monitoring and enforcement.