Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced on Sunday that Cheetah Nirva had given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park. With this new litter, the total number of cheetahs and cubs at Kuno, located in Sheopur district, has risen to 29. Earlier this month, two cheetahs from Kuno were shifted to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. Across the country, the total population of cheetahs, including cubs, now stands at 31.
Sharing the news on X late Sunday night, Yadav said, “It is a great pleasure that the population of cheetahs at Kuno National Park is constantly growing. Recently, 5-year-old Nirva has given birth to five cubs. The arrival of these little cubs is a symbol of the success of the Cheetah Project and the rich biodiversity of India.”
He credited the thriving wildlife conservation efforts to the environment created under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yadav also congratulated the entire team at Kuno, wildlife experts, and all others involved in conservation efforts, calling it a “historic achievement.”
A timeline of cheetahs in India
On April 20, two South African cheetahs, Prabhash and Pavak — brought to Kuno more than two years ago — were released into Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, which spans the Neemuch and Mandsaur districts.
The cheetah reintroduction project at Kuno began with the release of eight Namibian cheetahs — five females and three males — on September 17, 2022, marking the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the species. Subsequently, 12 more cheetahs were brought from South Africa in February 2023.
Prior to Nirva’s new litter, Kuno was home to 24 cheetahs, including 14 India-born cubs. With the recent relocation of two cheetahs to Gandhi Sagar, the park’s cheetah count had adjusted before the latest births.
