In a first such case, a radio-collared male cheetah died on Tuesday due to pellet injuries, a day after it was found injured in a forest in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district.The Madhya Pradesh Tiger Strike Force, which investigates wildlife crimes, will probe the possible poaching angle.Madhya Pradesh Chief Wildlife Warden Samita Rajora said an initial X-ray revealed multiple foreign bodies at different locations within the cheetah’s body, following which treatment was initiated.“Following expert consultation, the cheetah was shifted to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, NDVSU, Jabalpur, for detailed investigation and intensive treatment. A subsequent CT scan revealed multiple foreign bodies causing damage to his internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Emergency surgery was performed, during which five firearm pellets were recovered from his body. Despite surgical intervention and sustained efforts by the veterinary team, the male cheetah could not be saved,” she said.With this, India’s total cheetah population stands at 58, comprising 52 cheetahs in Kuno National Park, four in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR).Speaking to The Tribune, a veterinarian at the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Jabalpur, where the cheetah was treated, said a report had been filed with the state forest department.“Five pellets were recovered from the cheetah’s body,” he said.The cheetah was radio-collared and being monitored by a tracking team. Wildlife experts have questioned the effectiveness of the monitoring arrangements.Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey had earlier alerted the state government to alleged lapses in cheetah management.“The area where the cheetah was found injured is a region known for poachers. This recent shooting incident confirms the extreme vulnerability of the monitored wildlife and exposes the inadequacy of the protection and security measures claimed by local forest officials,” he told The Tribune.In a complaint filed with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Environment Ministry, Dubey called for a high-level investigation.“This is a matter of high-level investigation as to how poachers obtained the location of the radio-collared cheetah, how they managed to reach the restricted area with weapons for poaching, and where the rescue team tasked with tracking the cheetah 24/7 was located. Having caught poaching gangs in the forests of Sheopur, Shivpuri, and Kuno in June 2025 and July 2026, why were security measures not implemented by learning lessons from those incidents? What action has been taken against the forest officials responsible for criminal negligence regarding the poaching of leopards in the cheetah landscape across Kuno, Sheopur, and Shivpuri by these gangs?” he said.The cheetah reintroduction programme was launched in September 2022, with the translocation of eight cheetahs from Namibia. Another 20 cheetahs were brought from South Africa in February 2023.