Kuno cheetah KGP12 gives birth to four cubs, India’s cheetah count rises to 36

India-born female cheetah KGP12 gave birth to four cubs on Thursday at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur.

Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav called it 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.”

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The historic cheetah reintroduction journey, launched at Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has now reached a new milestone, he added.

Kuno National Park field director Uttam Sharma said forest staff spotted the cubs on Friday and are monitoring them from a distance. “After Mukhi, she is the second Indian born female to give birth at Kuno,” he said.

With these births, the number of cheetahs born and surviving in India has risen to 36. Kuno now hosts 53 cheetahs, while three are at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. Preparations are also complete to provide a third home at Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve, where translocation will begin soon.

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“The program has steadily expanded, with drone surveys, habitat management, and careful monitoring ensuring survival and breeding. The birth of KGP12’s cubs is being celebrated as proof that the cheetahs are adapting and thriving in Indian conditions. An encouraging sign for the long-term success of the project,” said Sharma.

Project Cheetah was launched on September 17, 2022, when eight cheetahs arrived from Namibia. Since then, 12 more were brought from South Africa and nine from Botswana.