National, Feb 18: Three cubs have been born to South African cheetah Gamini at Kuno National Park, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on February 18, marking another milestone in India’s cheetah reintroduction programme.
The minister said the birth coincides with the completion of three years since the arrival of cheetahs from South Africa under Project Cheetah. Gamini, now a second-time mother, delivered the cubs at Kuno, taking the country’s total cheetah population to 38.
“Another good news from Kuno… Kuno welcomes three new cubs — A roaring new chapter at Kuno on the occasion of completion of 3 years of arrival of cheetahs from South Africa,” Yadav wrote on X, adding that celebrations were echoing through the park as Gamini “has brought 3 new cubs into the world.”
He stated that this is the ninth successful cheetah litter born on Indian soil. “This joyful arrival marks the ninth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil and takes the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 27,” he said, noting that each birth strengthens the foundation of the reintroduction effort.
“With these newest additions, India’s total cheetah population has now reached 38 — a powerful symbol of the country’s determined and historic conservation effort,” Yadav added, crediting the “passion, perseverance, and round-the-clock dedication of the field staff and veterinary teams” associated with the project.
Project Cheetah, launched on September 17, 2022, is the world’s first intercontinental translocation initiative aimed at reintroducing the cheetah to India, where the species was declared extinct in 1952.
Wildlife officials have described the successive litters as critical to establishing a stable, free-ranging population, as the programme transitions from initial translocation to long-term conservation and breeding success.
