Kuno National Park Welcomes 5 Cheetah Cubs

Aasha’s legacy advances as she gives birth to five cubs, becoming a second-time mother at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, adding another milestone for India’s Project Cheetah. 

The birth marks the eighth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil, and with their arrival, the total cheetah population in India now stands at 35, and the tally of Indian-born surviving cubs rises to 24.

On September 17, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight cheetahs from Namibia into Kuno National Park as part of the major wildlife conservation initiative Project Cheetah. 

One of the female cheetahs was named Aasha (meaning ‘hope’), and in January 2024, Aasha gave birth to 3 cubs. Aasha’s second birth symbolises not just successful breeding but efficient habitat management. 

In November 2025, Mukhi, the first cheetah cub born on Indian soil, gave birth to five healthy cubs, marking the arrival of a second generation in the wild.

These births and the reproduction also underscore the dedication, skill, and commitment of the field staff and veterinarians working on the ground.

The reasons for their disappearance were multiple, such as excessive hunting, poaching, and the use of cheetahs for coursing.

It was further accelerated by agriculture, prey decline, climate pressures, and the species’ low reproductive rate and narrow genetic base.

Through Project Cheetah, the government embarked on a transformative initiative to revive the species and restore grassland ecosystems in India.  

It is a holistic ecological initiative to safeguard prey species and protect other endangered fauna in the country’s grasslands and open forests. 

In April 2025, two cheetahs were released in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, creating a second habitat for cheetahs in India and expanding their range. 

This year, eight more cheetahs are expected to arrive in India from Botswana, furthering wildlife conservation in the country. 

The long-term goal of Project Cheetah is to establish a metapopulation of 60-70 Cheetahs in the Kuno-Gandhisagar landscape through scientific restorative measures, prey availability and habitat management.