Madhya Pradesh Forest Dept starts probe into cheetah project ‘irregularities’

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has launched a probe into alleged irregularities in project cheetah at Kuno National Park after being pulled up by the Centre. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has requested a report based on accusations made by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey.

Dubey alleged that cheetahs at the park were tranquilised 110 times without the required approval from the state’s chief wildlife warden. He also accused the MP authorities of lapses in monitoring the health of the cheetahs, citing the presence of ticks on cheetah cubs as evidence.

In his letter to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Dubey called for an impartial investigation by a special investigation team.

Responding to the allegations, Uttam Sharma, the park’s director, highlighted the challenges of anaesthetising cubs in an open forest, fearing medical intervention could lead to mothers abandoning their cubs. Earlier, a cheetah named Pawan died at the park, with Dubey claiming improper tranquilisation caused the death. Currently, the cheetahs are housed in enclosures at Kuno National Park, with plans to release them into the wild by October-end.