NEW DELHI: India’s cheetah population has risen to 53 after Jwala, a Namibian cheetah at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, gave birth to five cubs, the federal environment ministry said on Monday. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the new litter in a public post, calling it a milestone for Project Cheetah, the country’s effort to restore cheetahs in the wild. The ministry said the cubs were born at Kuno, a key site in the reintroduction programme.
The ministry said Jwala is a successful third-time mother and that the latest litter pushed the number of Indian-born thriving cubs to 33. It said the birth marked the 10th successful cheetah litter recorded on Indian soil. The updated count reflects births recorded at Kuno since the programme began receiving cheetahs from African range states. The government has highlighted breeding in India as a central measure of progress as the population expands.
The announcement followed another recent birth at Kuno, with the ministry noting that Gamini, a South African cheetah, became a mother for the second time after delivering four cubs. In its statement, the ministry credited veterinarians and field staff for continuing on-ground care and monitoring as the population grows. It said the new litter took the national cheetah count beyond the half-century mark. The ministry did not provide additional details on when the cubs would be moved or how they would be managed.
Breeding milestone at Kuno
Yadav said the achievement reflected the dedicated efforts, skill and commitment of veterinarians, field staff and others working at the park. The ministry’s statement described the expanding number of Indian-born cubs as an important marker for the conservation effort. Officials have used the national tally to track outcomes as mothers give birth and cubs survive beyond their earliest weeks. The ministry’s announcement focused on the birth and the updated totals, without releasing individual health data for the cubs.
The ministry also pointed to recent additions to the managed cheetah population at Kuno through translocations from Botswana. It said Yadav released nine cheetahs received from Botswana into quarantine enclosures at Kuno on Feb. 28, 2026, consisting of six females and three males. The ministry said the animals are undergoing acclimatisation and health monitoring. It added that the quarantine period is part of standard management before a gradual release into the wider landscape.
New arrivals and monitoring
Kuno National Park, in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, has been central to India’s cheetah reintroduction effort and is the location cited in the government’s announcement of Jwala’s litter. Forest officials said the cubs were born on March 9, 2026, inside Kuno’s protected habitat, with veterinary teams and field staff keeping watch. The ministry’s statement identified Jwala as Namibian and referenced other mothers at the park, including Gamini. The government has periodically issued updates as births and translocations change the overall count.
The ministry said the total cheetah population in India now stands at 53, with 33 of those described as Indian-born thriving cubs. It reiterated that Jwala’s five cubs represent the 10th successful litter recorded in the country under Project Cheetah. The government has framed the birth as a significant conservation update tied to continued veterinary care and field monitoring at Kuno. The ministry said the programme’s latest tally reflects the addition of the new cubs to the national total. – By Content Syndication Services.