Centre Forms Panel to Probe Death of Young Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno
Context
The Union Government constituted a high-level committee to investigate the death of a 19-month-old cheetah cub from gunshot injuries outside Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
Key Highlights
- Committee formation: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change constituted a three member committee to conduct an on ground investigation into the cub’s death.
- Coordination with State authorities: The committee will work with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the State level Special Task Force to investigate the incident.
- Committee composition: The team includes representatives from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the Regional Deputy Director of the WCCB.
- Possible cause of death: Wildlife officials suspect that the cub may have been shot in self defence after being mistaken for a leopard. However, the possibility of poaching has not been ruled out.
- Review of protection measures: The investigation will examine security protocols, monitoring mechanisms and protection measures under Project Cheetah to prevent similar incidents.
Key Concepts
- Project Cheetah: India’s initiative to reintroduce cheetahs, launched in September 2022 at Kuno National Park.
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB): A statutory body established under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to combat organised wildlife crime.
- Human Wildlife Conflict: Negative interactions between people and wildlife, often resulting from habitat overlap and competition for resources.
- Species Reintroduction: The process of restoring a species to its former range through carefully managed conservation and monitoring measures.
Way Forward
- Strengthen community awareness and engagement around protected areas.
- Improve anti poaching surveillance and habitat monitoring.
- Establish effective rapid response mechanisms to address potential threats to wildlife.
- Ensure the long term success of Project Cheetah through improved protection and monitoring measures.