Project Cheetah shines as Mukhi welcomes five cubs in Kuno National Park

India’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction project reached a landmark milestone as Mukhi, the first Indian-born female cheetah at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, gave birth to five healthy cubs. This is the first instance in recent history of an Indian-born cheetah reproducing, signaling strong adaptation of the species to Indian conditions.

Mukhi, aged 33 months, was born in India to a Namibian female cheetah that was translocated under Project Cheetah. Her successful reproduction marks a major achievement for India’s conservation efforts and reinforces confidence in the long-term prospects of establishing a self-sustaining cheetah population in the country.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav called the development a “historic milestone” for wildlife conservation. In a post on X, he said, “Historic milestone: Indian-born cheetah Mukhi gives birth to five cubs. Successful reproduction by an India-born cheetah is a strong indicator of the species’ adaptation, health, and long-term prospects in Indian habitats. The mother and cubs are doing fine.” He added that this achievement strengthens optimism about creating a genetically diverse and self-sustaining cheetah population in India, further advancing the nation’s conservation goals.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also hailed the birth as unprecedented and confirmed the well-being of Mukhi and her cubs. “A historic milestone has been achieved as Indian-born cheetah Mukhi has given birth to five cubs in Kuno National Park. The mother and cubs are doing well. Mukhi has now become the first India-born cheetah to reproduce, making it a landmark achievement for Project Cheetah,” CM Yadav said in a post on X. He noted that this success reflects the species’ adaptation to Indian habitats and strengthens confidence in the project’s long-term objectives.

India’s cheetah reintroduction programme began in 2022 with the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia, followed by twelve from South Africa in 2023. The initiative aims to re-establish a viable cheetah population in India, where the species had become extinct decades ago. With Mukhi’s successful reproduction, conservationists are hopeful that the cheetahs at Kuno National Park will thrive and contribute to a genetically healthy, self-sustaining population in the years ahead.

All these cheetahs were released into Kuno National Park, which is the primary site for India’s cheetah reintroduction programme.Cheetahs became extinct in India in 1952.