Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh): In a daredevil incident, a man was spotted taking a ‘selfie’ and a video with the female Cheetah Jwala and her cubs in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district.
The matter came to light on Monday after the selfie and the video went viral on social media (Facebook).
According to information, the video was captured in Garhi village in Vijaypur, Sheopur district.
While in the middle of an agricultural field, the man approached the wild animal without fear. He captured a video, and posted it on Facebook. This prompted widespread concern on social media and among wildlife officials.
Watch the video here:
In the video, the man is seen sitting alarmingly close to the cheetah, risking both his own life and the animal’s safety. Local residents confirmed that cheetah sightings have occurred in the area before, but a human in this close contact with them is highly unusual and dangerous.
Forest department officials have repeatedly warned villagers to maintain a safe distance from wild animals. They urge them to report any wildlife sightings immediately.
As per experts that reckless behavior for the sake of social media views and likes can lead to fatal consequences and jeopardize conservation efforts.
Driver lost life in similar incident
This is not the first viral video involving Jwala, the same female Cheetah. In April, another clip surfaced showing her drinking water alongside her four cubs. In that video, a forest department driver, identified as Sattu Gurjar, was seen pouring water from a can into a dish and calling the cheetahs using the English word ‘Come.’ Remarkably, Jwala and her cubs responded to the call and approached him to drink.
Such videos might appear heartwarming or exciting to viewers, however, conservationists stress that repeated human interaction can alter animal behavior and pose serious risks.
Officials are urging the public to avoid direct contact with wild animals and to respect the boundaries necessary for their protection and survival.
