Rajasthan: Villagers allegedly assault forest team tracking cheetah in Karauli
A Madhya Pradesh forest team was attacked after a cheetah killed a buffalo calf in the Mandrayal area.
A forest team from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park was allegedly attacked by a group of villagers in Rajasthan's Karauli district. According to reports from The Tribune and Hindustan Times, the incident occurred while the team was tracking cheetah KGP-3, which had strayed into the state.
The confrontation reportedly began after the cheetah killed a buffalo calf. Forest guard Alok Prajapati, who is posted with the Kuno Wildlife Division in Sheopur, filed a complaint at the Mandrayal police station alleging that an elderly man first approached the team to complain about the livestock loss.
Prajapati alleged that when he attempted to explain the compensation process, he was threatened. He further stated that five to six individuals arrived in a vehicle, assaulted him, and used caste-based abuse. The group also reportedly threw stones at the cheetah and made threats against the monitoring team and the animal.
Mandrayal police station station house officer Jay Prakash Singh said a case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against five to six unidentified people. An investigation is currently underway to identify the accused.
Prajapati has requested police security for the personnel conducting night patrols to ensure their safety. Currently, two cheetahs have strayed from Madhya Pradesh into Rajasthan, with one in Karauli and another in Baran district.