Sheopur, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
An India-born female cheetah has given birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking India’s cheetah population to 56 and marking the arrival of a new generation born in the country.
The four cubs were born on Friday to KGP12, a female cheetah born in India. The development came a day after Project Cheetah completed four years and was welcomed as a significant milestone in the effort to establish a viable and self-sustaining cheetah population in the country.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the births and congratulated the teams involved in Project Cheetah and Kuno National Park.
“Four years, four new lives — a beautiful symbol of hope, resilience and the growing success of cheetah conservation in India,” Yadav said in a post on X.
With the latest births, the number of cheetahs in India has increased from 52 to 56. Kuno National Park remains the principal habitat, housing 49 cheetahs, while three are currently at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
Before the latest litter, 32 cheetahs had been born in India since the reintroduction programme began. The births have highlighted the importance of breeding, captive management and the subsequent adaptation of the animals to Indian conditions.
Project Cheetah was launched on September 17, 2022, with eight cheetahs brought from Namibia and released into Kuno National Park, marking the return of the species to India about seven decades after it was declared extinct in the country. The programme was later expanded through translocations from South Africa and Botswana.
The initiative has increasingly focused on survival, breeding and establishing a sustainable population rather than merely bringing cheetahs into the country. The programme has also faced challenges, including the deaths of several translocated and India-born cheetahs, leading to closer monitoring, veterinary intervention and changes in management practices.
As Project Cheetah enters its fifth year, the latest litter comes amid efforts to expand the population beyond Kuno. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary has emerged as the second major cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh.
Yadav described the birth as a “truly historic and joyous moment” and credited central and state governments, wildlife experts, veterinarians, forest officials and field staff for their efforts in establishing the cheetah population in India.
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