Kamal Ghorui
India’s ambitious effort to restore the cheetah to its grasslands has reached another milestone. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday announced the birth of a fourth cub to South African cheetah Gamini at Kuno National Park, pushing the country’s total cheetah population to 39. The development, confirmed through intensive monitoring by field and veterinary teams, is being seen as a significant boost to India’s ongoing reintroduction programme.
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Sharing the update on X, the minister shared, “Kuno National Park is pleased to announce the birth of a fourth cub to female cheetah Gamini. The presence of the fourth cub was confirmed during intensive monitoring by the field and veterinary teams. All four cubs are presently healthy and doing fine. This development reflects the continued commitment to scientific management and conservation under Project Cheetah, and marks another positive step in India’s cheetah reintroduction journey. The number of cheetahs in India now stands at 39, including 28 India-born cubs.” With the addition of the new cub, the total number of cheetahs in India has now risen to 39, including 28 cubs born within the country, according to the minister.Read more: 10 of the world’s most expensive cities for luxury living right now
A milestone moment at Kuno
The latest announcement comes just days after Yadav, on February 18, had shared news of the birth of three cubs to Gamini. At the time, he described it as “another good news from Kuno,” marking a significant moment as the park completed three years after the arrival of cheetahs from South Africa. Gamini, a South African cheetah and a second-time mother, has now added four cubs to India’s growing cheetah population. The confirmation of the fourth cub followed sustained surveillance and veterinary oversight, a critical component of the reintroduction programme, which places strong emphasis on monitoring health, habitat adaptation, and cub survival rates. Wildlife officials have repeatedly emphasised that cub survival is one of the most important indicators of the programme’s long-term success. The fact that all four cubs are reported to be healthy suggests stable maternal care and effective habitat management within Kuno.
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The Minister also shared, “Adding to the purrs in Kuno! After eight cheetahs from Namibia were first reintroduced to India on September 17, 2022, and 12 were brought from South Africa in February 2023, I am thrilled to announce the arrival of nine cheetahs from Botswana — 6 females and 3 males — at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. With a thriving population of 39 cheetahs in India, including 28 India-born cubs, the ambitious Project Cheetah, undertaken under the environmentally-conscious leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji, has been a great success. I welcome our new friends from Botswana and wish they thrive and multiply in India’s wild.”Read more: “Not eligible this time”: What led to this Indian couple’s US visa rejection despite having FIFA pass
India’s ambitious cheetah comeback
Project Cheetah was launched on September 17, 2022, marking the world’s first intercontinental translocation project of large wild carnivores. The initiative aims to reintroduce cheetahs to India, where the species was declared extinct in 1952. The first batch of African cheetahs was flown in as part of a long-term plan to establish a viable, free-ranging population in suitable habitats. Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh was selected as the primary release site after years of habitat preparation, prey base augmentation, and village relocations to create a conducive ecosystem.
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Since their arrival, the cheetahs have undergone phased releases from quarantine enclosures into larger acclimatisation zones and, in some cases, into the wild. Veterinary teams and forest officials have maintained close tracking using radio collars and field patrols to manage health risks, territorial adjustments, and breeding success.The birth of India-born cubs is regarded as one of the important indicators for gauging the sustainability of the project. The fact that there are 28 cubs that have been born in India has helped officials believe that the cheetahs are adapting. As Kuno continues to see new additions in the form of India-born cubs, it is important that they are able to survive into adulthood, which is one of the important factors that can help India achieve a self-sustaining cheetah population.
