Watch: Viral video of driver offering water to cheetahs in India sparks debate, driver suspended

A viral video showing a forest department driver offering water to a family of cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh has captured the attention of social media users, igniting both praise and controversy. The video, filmed at a village near Kuno National Park, depicts the driver, identified as Satyanarayan Gurjar, carefully approaching a group of cheetahs with a jerrycan of water. He pours the water into a steel plate, and the unafraid cheetahs approach and drink from it. Off-camera voices can be heard urging the cheetahs to come closer.

While the video was widely seen as a heartwarming symbol of coexistence between humans and wildlife, the incident has sparked concerns among park authorities. In the wake of the video's viral spread, the Kuno Forest Division conducted an investigation and suspended Gurjar from his position. Forest officials are worried that such interactions could lead the cheetahs to become too accustomed to human presence, potentially increasing the risk of the animals venturing into residential areas.

This follows an unsettling incident earlier this year when villagers pelted stones at cheetah Jwala and her cubs. The contrasting responses—one of aggression and the other of compassion—highlight the delicate balance between humans and wildlife in the region.

Despite the goodwill demonstrated in the video, forest authorities caution against encouraging such direct interactions. "While the villagers' gesture reflects a growing understanding of the cheetahs' role in the ecosystem, we must ensure the animals do not lose their natural fear of humans," an official stated. "We do not want to establish any bond that could endanger the animals and the human population."

The incident serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in wildlife conservation, where human empathy must be balanced with the need to maintain wild animals' natural behaviours.