Bhopal, September 18: India-born female cheetah KGP12 gave birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur on Thursday, marking another milestone in India’s cheetah conservation programme.
KNP field director Uttam Sharma said forest staff spotted the cubs on Friday and are monitoring them from a distance to avoid disturbing the mother and her newborns.
A New Chapter In Cheetah Revival
Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav described the birth as a historic and joyous moment for Project Cheetah. “On September 18, KGP12, a female cheetah born in India, gave birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. Four years, four new lives: This achievement in the Project Cheetah journey stands as a significant symbol of the success of cheetah conservation and natural breeding in India,” he said.
The cheetah reintroduction programme, launched at Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reached a new milestone with the birth of these cubs.
Sharma said KGP12 is the second India-born female cheetah to give birth at Kuno after Mukhi. “After Mukhi, she is the second Indian-born female to give birth at Kuno,” he said.
Cheetah Population Expands
With the birth of the four cubs, the number of cheetahs born and surviving in India has increased to 36. Kuno National Park now houses 53 cheetahs, while three cheetahs are at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Preparations are also complete to establish a third home for cheetahs at Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve, where translocation will begin soon, Hindustan Times reports.
The conservation programme has expanded through drone surveys, habitat management and continuous monitoring to support cheetah survival and breeding. The birth of KGP12’s cubs is being seen as an encouraging sign that cheetahs are adapting to Indian conditions and that natural breeding is taking place successfully.
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Project Cheetah’s Expansion
Project Cheetah began on September 17, 2022, with the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia. Since then, 12 more cheetahs were brought from South Africa and nine from Botswana. The latest births add a significant chapter to India’s efforts to restore the cheetah population after the species disappeared from the country decades ago.
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