India’s cheetah project marked a fresh step as Mukhi, the first Indian-born female cheetah, gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The park team shared that Mukhi is 33 months old and in good health with her newborns.
Indian-born cheetah
The Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav posted visuals of the mother and cubs on X and said the birth shows strong signs of the species settling in Indian conditions. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also shared the images and called it a proud moment for the state.
Mukhi’s story stands out. She was the only survivor among four cubs born to the Namibian cheetah Siyaya in March 2023. She overcame a serious limb injury at nine months and learned to hunt on her own.
The new birth comes as Kuno prepares to welcome eight cheetahs from Botswana later this year.
| Source | Brought from Africa | Total Born in India | Deaths (Adults + Cubs) | Alive (Adults + Cubs) |
| Namibia | 8 | 4 | 5 (Adults) + 3 (Cubs) | 4 |
| South Africa | 12 | 23 | 4 (Adults) + 7 (Cubs) | 11 |
| Botswana | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Born in India | 0 | 27 | 10 (Cubs) | 17 |
| Combined Total | 28 | 27 | 19 | 32 (Official Count) |
Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh is celebrating a joyful milestone as female cheetah Nirva gives birth to five cubs, bringing the total cheetah population to 31. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav took to social media to share the exciting news, expressing his delight over the thriving cheetah population in the state.
The Chief Minister said, “The success of the cheetah project symbolises the enrichment of biodiversity in India. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is achieving historic milestones in the conservation of its natural heritage.”
He congratulated the officers, doctors, and field staff involved in the project, emphasising that the increasing number of cheetahs is boosting tourism and creating new job opportunities. The total number of cheetahs in Kuno has now reached 26, including 12 adults and 14 cubs, bringing relief and happiness to the park management.
According to a press note from forest officials, Pavan was found near the edge of a rain-swollen nallah, motionless among the bushes. Veterinarians found the cheetah’s front half, including its head, submerged in the water, with no visible external injuries. “The preliminary cause of death seems to be drowning,” the statement noted, pending the postmortem report.
Before being released into the wild, Pavan (formerly known as Oban) was kept in an acclimatization enclosure after straying out twice. He was eventually released into the free-ranging area of Kuno National Park, as reported by TOI.
Cheetah Mukhi and her story
Mukhi was born on March 29, 2023, at Kuno National Park. Her mother, Jwala, came from Namibia as part of India’s cheetah project. Mukhi was the only cub from the litter that survived. Her siblings died during a stretch of extreme heat, and she was abandoned soon after birth.
A veterinary team found her weak in May 2023. She struggled with dehydration and an injury to her right forelimb. Wildlife staff hand-reared her under strict protocols to keep her alive. They spent weeks helping her recover strength and movement. As she grew, they introduced live prey such as hares inside an enclosure. This helped her build the hunting skills needed for life in the wild.
Mukhi later entered rewilding exercises. She began hunting on her own and showed progress that surprised the team. During this period, she interacted with three male cheetahs born to Asha. One of them is believed to be the father of her five cubs.
Mukhi’s survival and reproduction mark a key moment for India’s cheetah project. She started life with abandonment, heat stress, and injury. She now stands as the first India-born cheetah at Kuno to raise a new generation, adding momentum to efforts to establish a stable cheetah population in the country.
Number of Cheetahs in India in 2025?
As of 2025, the arrival of two new cubs in Kuno National Park has further increased the cheetah population. The park is now home to a total of 31 cheetahs. The Kuno park now houses 29 cheetahs, including 19 cubs and 10 adults. This growth has brought relief to the park management, reflecting the success of conservation efforts.
The project brought 12 cheetahs from South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The goal of the project is to create a stable cheetah population in India. This will allow the cheetah to reclaim its role as a top predator, increase its historical range, and help global conservation efforts.
How Cheetahs Reproduce & What Timeline Looks Like
Cheetah reproduction follows a clear pattern. You can use these points to explain what wildlife staff look for and how long each stage takes.
Female cheetahs can enter heat at any time of the year. Males do not form long bonds. They pair with a female only during the mating period. A female can mate with more than one male, which means a single litter can have mixed paternity.
The wait after mating is short. The gestation period is about ninety to ninety-five days. Most litters range from three to five cubs, though smaller or larger litters can occur. Cubs are born blind and stay hidden for the first few weeks.
The next stage is slow. A mother stays with her cubs for about sixteen to eighteen months. During this period, the cubs learn stalking, chasing, and selecting prey. Most learning comes from watching the mother and attempting short hunts. Survival during this stage is low in the wild, so any successful litter is important for a growing population.
Once independent, young males often form small groups with siblings. Females usually separate and live alone. Both sexes reach sexual maturity at around twenty to twenty-four months.
You can ask: How will Mukhi teach her cubs skills she never learned from her own mother? Wildlife staff will track hunting attempts, prey choice, and movement to find the answer.
Gamini, an African cheetah, gave birth to six cubs in March this year, but sadly, one of them passed away on June 4 and another on August 5. The remaining 13 adult cheetahs and 11 cubs are currently healthy and in normal condition. According to the release, the adult cheetahs have received the necessary treatments to prevent tick and other parasitic infections. All cheetahs are being monitored regularly to ensure their well-being.
During routine monitoring on July 29, the five-month-old cub that later died was found unable to lift the hind portion of its body.
“Upon closer observation, the cub was seen dragging its entire hind portion,” an unnamed wildlife official told PTI. “The cub was immediately rescued and brought to the hospital, where it was discovered that its vertebral column was fractured.”
Journey of Cheetah Reintroduction in India
Soon after confirming that cheetahs had become extinct in the country in the 1950s, discussions began about bringing them back to India. There were plans to bring cheetahs from Iran in the 1970s, but due to political instability in Iran, these plans didn’t work out. In the 1980s, Kenya offered to send African cheetahs to India.
In 2009, the Indian government proposed introducing African cheetahs to India, but the Supreme Court rejected the proposal. However, in early 2020, the court reversed its decision and permitted the introduction of a small number of cheetahs to India on a trial basis to evaluate their long-term adaptation.
On September 17, 2022, they released eight cheetahs from Namibia, aged between four and six years, into a small quarantined area within Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. They fitted these cheetahs with radio collars, and they will stay in the quarantined area for a month. They will release the males first and then the females into the larger park area.
Yadvendradev V. Jhala from the Wildlife Institute of India and Laurie Marker, a zoologist from the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, supervised the relocation process. Later, they will release 12 more cheetahs from South Africa in Kuno, aiming to increase the total number of African cheetahs in Kuno to 40.
Unfortunately, as of January 16, 2024, seven adult cheetahs and three cubs (out of four born in Kuno two months earlier) had died in Kuno National Park.
Declining Cheetah Population
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) reported a significant decline in the global cheetah population. The population dropped from an estimated 15,000 adults in 1975 to fewer than 7,000 in 2023.
According to the National Geographic Society, human activities threaten cheetahs by encroaching on their habitat. Cheetahs are also at risk of contracting diseases spread by domestic cats. Other factors contributing to their decline include climate change, hunting, and low reproductive success.
Future Projects
In April, the Madhya Pradesh forest department requested an alternative site from the Centre after two cheetah deaths, citing “lack of logistical support and space” as key issues.
In June last year, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav confirmed that Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in northwestern Madhya Pradesh had been identified as a potential alternative site, but no concrete plans had been made to relocate the cheetahs.
Number of births in India
| Date or period | Female cheetah name | Number of cubs born | Notes |
| February 2025 | Veera | 2 | South African cheetah. |
| April 2025 | Nirva | 5 | At Kuno. |
| November 2025 | Mukhi | 5 | First Indian-born female cheetah to reproduce. |
| Date | Description |
| Late March 2023 | Three of four cubs born in March 2023 died (heat-related) |
| 24 April 2023 | A cheetah died of cardiac failure (adult, not cub) |
| 25 May 2023 | After the death of three cubs, a steering committee was set up |
Number of cheetahs currently in India
| Metric | Value | Notes |
| Total cheetahs in India | 35 | Report: India’s count up to 35 after 8 from Botswana handed over. |
Number of cheetahs imported from Africa
| Source country | Number imported | Notes |
| Namibia | 8 | First batch from Namibia in Sept 2022. |
| South Africa | 12 | Batch arrived Feb 2023. |
| Botswana | 8 (planned) | Another batch of 8 from Botswana expected. |
| Total from Africa (so far) | At least ~28 | Combining known from Namibia + South Africa + planned Botswana |
Number of deaths in India
| Metric | Value | Notes |
| Adult cheetah deaths | 6 adults (since March) | Report: “Since March, six of these adult cheetahs have died.” |
| Overall deaths reported early 2024 | ~10 animals | Report: “By January 2024, ten animals had died.” |
Timeline of Cheetah in India
| Date | Event | Details |
| March 11, 2023 | Release of Cheetahs Oban and Aasha in Kuno National Park, MP, India | Successful hunting confirmed |
| March 22, 2023 | Release of Cheetahs Elton and Freddie | Total cheetahs in the wild: four |
| March 24, 2023 | Siyaya gives birth to four cubs | |
| April 2, 2023 | Oban escapes but is safely returned | |
| April 24, 2023 | Death of Cheetah Uday | Cause: Heart failure |
| May 9, 2023 | Death of Cheetah Daksha | Cause: Fight during mating |
| May 18, 2023 | Supreme Court orders spreading of cheetahs | Criticizes concentration |
| May 19, 2023 | Release of Cheetahs Agni, Vayu, and Gamini | Total cheetahs: six |
| May 23, 2023 | Death of a cheetah cub | Cause: Weakness |
| May 25, 2023 | Death of two more cheetah cubs | Cause: Heat and weakness |
| May 25, 2023 | Appointment of a new committee | Following the death of three cubs |
| May 28, 2023 | Release of Cheetah Neerva | Total cheetahs: seven |
| July 14, 2023 | Death of Cheetah Suraj | Eighth death in five months |
| August 2, 2023 | Death of Female Cheetah Tiblisi/Dhatri | Cause: Maggot infection, ninth death |
| January 3, 2024 | Aasha gives birth to three cubs | |
| January 16, 2024 | Death of Male Cheetah Shaurya | Total deaths: 10, cause unknown |
| June, 4, 2024 | Cubs born to South African cheetah ‘Gamini’ dead at the Kuno National Park | weakness |
| August 6, 2024 | Death of a five-month-old cheetah cub | Reported by PTI, cause to be determined |
| August 27, 2024 | Namibian Cheetah ‘Pawan’ Dies At Kuno National Park | The death is unusual, as it appears to have been caused by drowning. |
| Feb 2025 | Veera, a five-year-old South African cheetah, gave birth to two cubs | |
| April 28, 2025 | Cheetah Nirva gave birth to five cubs | Kuno National Park |
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