New Delhi, March 9: India’s cheetah population has crossed the 50 mark after a Namibian cheetah named Jwala gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on Monday.
With the birth of the new cubs, the total cheetah population in India has now reached 53, marking a significant milestone in the country’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction initiative, Project Cheetah.
Sharing photographs of the newborn cubs on social media, the Minister described the development as a “moment of pride” for the nation’s wildlife conservation efforts. He called the birth a historic and heart-warming moment that reflects the success of the programme aimed at restoring the population of the endangered big cats in India.
Kuno National Park serves as the primary site for the translocation and conservation of cheetahs brought from African nations under the project. Earlier this month, nine cheetahs were brought from Botswana and released into the park on March 1 as part of the ongoing initiative. The group included six females and three males.
The cheetahs were transported to India aboard a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft of the Indian Air Force in a coordinated international conservation effort.
Officials said another major milestone of the programme is that the number of cheetahs born in India has now crossed 30. With Jwala’s latest litter, the number of Indian-born surviving cubs has increased to 33. This also marks the tenth successful cheetah litter recorded on Indian soil since the launch of the project.
Minister Yadav credited the success to the dedicated work of veterinarians, wildlife experts, forest officials and field staff involved in the programme.
“This achievement reflects the tireless efforts and commitment of all those working on the ground to ensure the survival and growth of cheetahs in India,” he said.
Last month, another Namibian cheetah named Astha had also given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park, further strengthening India’s cheetah conservation journey.
