Four Cubs Born to India-Born Cheetah at Kuno National Park

New Delhi, Sep 18 : An India-born female cheetah has given birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, marking another milestone in the country’s cheetah conservation programme, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on Friday.

The cheetah, identified as KGP12, delivered the cubs on Thursday, September 17. The Environment Minister described the development as a significant achievement for Project Cheetah, noting that the mother herself was born in India.

Kuno National Park Field Director Uttam Sharma said forest officials spotted the cubs on Friday and were monitoring the mother and her young from a distance to avoid disturbance.

“KGP12 is the second India-born female cheetah to give birth at Kuno, after Mukhi,” Sharma said.

With the latest births, the number of cheetahs born and surviving in India has risen to 36. Kuno National Park currently houses 53 cheetahs, while three others are at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.

The government is also preparing Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve as a third habitat for cheetahs, with translocation expected to begin soon.

Officials said drones, habitat management measures and regular field assessments are being used to monitor the animals and support their survival and breeding in the wild.

Project Cheetah was launched at Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022, with the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia. The programme was subsequently expanded with the translocation of 12 cheetahs from South Africa and nine from Botswana.

The latest births come four years after the launch of the reintroduction programme and demonstrate that cheetahs brought to India, as well as those born in the country, are reproducing in its wildlife habitats, officials said.