Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Three suspects have been rounded up for interrogation in connection with the death of a cheetah that was shot at. The firearm used in the shooting is yet to be recovered. A senior forest officer connected with monitoring the investigation being done by the Special Task Force (STF) formed by the state government said to Free Press that the probe is focused on the villages situated near the incident site. So far, three suspects have been picked up for interrogation.
The probe is also focusing on the deceased cheetah's radio collar signals. Investigators are tracking the signals to determine the route taken by the cheetah.
The officer said the cheetah often moves beyond the 500-metre radio signal range as it can cover 3 to 4 km in a short span of time. In such situations, the monitoring team has to wait for a satellite signal, creating gaps in tracking the animal.
On Wednesday, three members of a high-level team deputed by the Centre also reached Morena to inspect the crime scene.
Cheetah suffered five pellet injuries
The 19-month-old cheetah was fired upon by an unknown suspect with an illegal gun on Oct 25. The cheetah suffered five pellet injuries. The monitoring team rescued the cheetah and later it was taken to the Jabalpur-based veterinary department for treatment, where it died on Tuesday.
