Veterinary examinations confirmed that the cub had suffered multiple firearm injuries, contradicting initial reports suggesting that it had been struck on the back with sticks. A CT scan revealed several metallic foreign bodies lodged in different parts of its body, damaging its internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system.
Veterinary doctor Shibha Javre said, "The scan revealed multiple metallic foreign bodies in the body of the lumbar vertebra (L1), in the region between the first lumbar (L1) and thirteenth thoracic (T13) vertebrae and ventral to the T13 vertebra. Two metallic foreign bodies were also detected in the subcutaneous tissues near the left shoulder region, and another was located within the parenchyma of the right lung. Emergency surgery was performed, during which five firearm pellets were recovered from his body. The cheetah succumbed to injuries on Tuesday morning."
Samita Rajora, chief wildlife warden, said the cub was shifted to NDVSU, Jabalpur, following consultations with experts for detailed investigation and intensive treatment. A subsequent CT scan confirmed multiple foreign bodies and damage to its internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Despite surgical intervention and sustained efforts by the veterinary team, the cub could not be saved.
The state government has constituted a Special Task Force (STF), comprising forest and police officers, to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that a villager may have shot the cheetah, although investigators have not ruled out the possibility of poaching.
The incident reportedly occurred after two cheetahs, including Nirva's cub, entered a house on the outskirts of Bamori village in Morena and killed two calves tethered in the courtyard.
A local forest official, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said on Sunday that the cries of the calves woke up Somlavir Singh and his wife, who were sleeping in a makeshift shelter nearby. The couple raised an alarm and alerted other villagers. Later that day, the cub was found injured in the forest area of the Pahargarh range.
"The cheetah might have been shot by a villager, but the probe is ongoing," the official said.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident, arguing that the forest department's claims about modern protection arrangements for cheetahs have been called into question.
"It is a serious issue that despite monitoring by 18 teams, a cheetah was shot and left injured. It happened just three months after a poaching gang of leopards was caugh"
With the cub's death, India's total cheetah population stands at 58, including 52 cheetahs in Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR). The investigation will examine how the cub sustained the gunshot injuries and whether the incident involved a local villager or a poacher.
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