Kuno’s India-born cheetah Mukhi gives birth to 5 cubs

India-born cheetah Mukhi has given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in cheetah conservation efforts. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while announcing this update on Thursday (November 20), called it a “historic milestone in Project Cheetah”.

Historic milestone in Project Cheetah

“A historic milestone has been achieved as Indian-born cheetah Mukhi has given birth to five cubs in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. The mother and cubs are doing well,” Yadav said in a post on X.

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This is an “unprecedented” breakthrough for India’s cheetah reintroduction initiative, he added.

A historic milestone has been achieved as Indian-born cheetah Mukhi has given birth to five cubs in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. The mother and cubs are doing well.

Project Cheetah

Mukhi's cubs mark the key milestone in cheetah conservation in India, as cheetahs went extinct in India and the BJP government reintroduced the species in the Indian landscape on September 17, 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released eight cheetahs, five females and three males, brought from Namibia, into Kuno National Park, on his birthday in 2022. It was the first-ever intercontinental translocation of big cats.

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Mukhi is the first India-born female cheetah. The 33-month-old cheetah has now become the first India-born cheetah to reproduce.

Mukhi, a symbol of hope

While noting the successful reproduction of Mukhi, Yadav said in his post that it was a strong indicator of the species' adaptation, health and long-term prospects in Indian habitats.

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“This significant step forward strengthens optimism about establishing a self-sustaining and genetically diverse cheetah population in India, further advancing the nation’s conservation goals,” he added.

(With agency inputs)