Indian-born cheetah KGP12 delivers four cubs at Kuno, a first for Project Cheetah

An Indian-born cheetah at Kuno National Park has given birth to four cubs, a development that marks a new stage for Project Cheetah — the first time animals born in India after the reintroduction have themselves reproduced.

The female, identified as KGP12, is the daughter of Gamini, a cheetah brought to India from South Africa. Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the births, describing them as a historic moment for the programme. He noted that the litter arrived a day after Project Cheetah completed four years, calling the four new lives a symbol of hope and resilience.

With the latest additions, India's cheetah population stands at 56, of which 36 were born in the country. Kuno National Park now hosts 53 cheetahs, while three others are kept at the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

The significance of KGP12's litter lies in what it represents for the programme's trajectory. Project Cheetah was launched on September 17, 2022, with eight cheetahs translocated from Namibia. Twelve more arrived from South Africa in February 2023, and nine were brought from Botswana this year.

Over the four years since, the focus has gradually moved from importing adult animals to breeding and building India-born generations. The programme's longer-term aim is to establish a population that can survive and reproduce under natural conditions — an objective that the arrival of cubs to an India-born mother advances.