NEW DELHI: In India-born female cheetah has given birth to four cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. With this, the country’s cheetah population has increased to 56.
In a major boost to the government’s cheetah reintroduction programme, this adds a new generation to the population established after the species was brought back to the country.
The birth of the four cubs to KGP12 (name given for identification) came on Friday (Sept 18) – a day after the ambitious Project Cheetah completed four years.
The development is significant for the programme that aims to establish a viable and self-sustaining cheetah population in the country, IANS reported.
Announcing the birth on Friday, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav congratulated the teams involved in Project Cheetah and Kuno National Park.
“A truly historic and joyous moment for Project Cheetah! A day after India’s Cheetah Project completed four years, KGP12, an Indian-born female cheetah, has given birth to four cubs in Kuno.
"Four years, four new lives—a beautiful symbol of hope, resilience and the growing success of cheetah conservation in India. Heartiest congratulations to the entire Kuno and Project Cheetah family,” Yadav said in a post on X.
Born in India, KGP12 is among the cheetahs that have successfully adapted to the country’s conditions following the reintroduction programme.
Her four cubs represent another addition to the India-born population and are significant for the programme’s long-term objective of achieving natural breeding and population growth, IANS reported.
With the latest births, the total number of cheetahs in the country has gone up from 52 to 56.
Kuno remains the principal cheetah habitat, with 49 animals, while three cheetahs are currently housed at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
Project Cheetah was launched by the government on Sept 17, 2022, when eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia and released into Kuno National Park, marking the return of the species to India seven decades after it was declared extinct in the country.
It was subsequently expanded with the translocation of cheetahs from South Africa and Botswana. - The Statesman/ANN
