Forest Driver Sacked for Violating Protocol by Offering Water to Cheetahs at Kuno National Park

Madhya Pradesh, April 8, 2025 — A forest department driver at Kuno National Park has been dismissed after a video surfaced showing him offering water to a cheetah and her cubs, a move that violated wildlife safety protocols.

Offering water or milk to #cheetahs by villagers is not a good sign for #wildlife conservation. This may lead to dangerous consequences. As usual, the forest is undisturbed.@CMMadhyaPradesh @ntca_india @PMOIndia @KunoNationalPrk @Collectorsheop1 pic.twitter.com/3iIIYbd8Kn

— ajay dubey (@Ajaydubey9) April 5, 2025

The video, which quickly spread online, shows the driver calling out to Jwala, a cheetah translocated from Namibia as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Project Cheetah. He is seen placing a steel bowl filled with water near her, which she calmly drinks from before her four cubs join her. The driver’s interaction with the animals and the act of filming the incident breached strict departmental rules.

According to authorities, the employee acted outside of his responsibilities and ignored established guidelines, which prohibit unauthorized staff from interacting with cheetahs. Uttam Kumar Sharma, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF), said, “This behavior shows a clear violation of discipline and department instructions.” He confirmed that disciplinary actions are being pursued against other individuals involved in the situation.

At the time, the cheetah and her cubs were seen near the Agra range, close to the edge of the park and nearby villages. In such cases, the forest department assigns trained staff to monitor the animals and guide them back into forested zones. Officials admitted that water was offered due to extreme heat, as the cheetahs were resting in open fields without shade. However, Sharma reiterated that only designated and trained personnel are allowed to interact with the cheetahs, and only under approved circumstances.

Kuno National Park currently houses 26 cheetahs, including 17 in the wild—of which 11 were born in India—and nine in enclosures. The reintroduction program began with the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia in September 2022, followed by 12 more from South Africa in February 2023, marking the world’s first intercontinental cheetah rewilding project.

The incident has raised concerns over protocol breaches and highlighted the importance of maintaining strict control over interactions with endangered wildlife.