In Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, a remarkable shift in human-wildlife relations is taking shape as local villagers begin to embrace a more peaceful coexistence with the recently reintroduced cheetah population.
Just weeks after a tense encounter involving cheetah cubs and villagers protecting their livestock, a new incident has captured national attention — this time for its compassion. A female cheetah named Jwala and her four cubs wandered into a nearby field and killed six goats. But instead of reacting with anger, the villagers responded with kindness.
In a viral video widely circulated on social media, a local villager is seen offering a large plate of water to the cheetahs as they rested under a tree after their hunt. Soft voices can be heard gently coaxing the animals with calls of “come, come.” To everyone’s surprise, the cheetahs calmly approached and drank the water, showing no signs of aggression.
This unexpected moment of peace stands in stark contrast to a previous incident in which villagers stoned cheetahs to protect a calf, highlighting a growing shift in attitudes toward these apex predators.
Forest officials have acknowledged the villagers’ goodwill but continue to urge caution. “It’s encouraging to see this change in behavior, but it’s important not to encourage close contact,” one forest officer said. “Cheetahs are wild animals, and their regular presence near human settlements could become dangerous in the long term.”
The reintroduction of cheetahs to India — once extinct in the country — has brought both pride and challenges to regions like Sheopur. But this latest episode suggests a promising development: that with education and understanding, even fearsome predators and people can find ways to share the same land with respect.
