Indian-born cheetah gives birth to 5 cubs at Kuno, seen as `strong sign'' of adaptation

Sheopur (MP), Nov 20 (PTI) Indian-born cheetah Mukhi has given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Thursday, describing it as a "strong sign" of the viability and adaptation of the species that was reintroduced in the country three years ago.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the development and said it was an unprecedented” breakthrough for Project Cheetah.

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

Mukhi, the first Indian-born female cheetah, has now also become the first Indian-born cheetah to reproduce, he noted.

“The successful reproduction of an Indian-born cheetah is a strong indicator of the species’ adaptation, health, and long-term prospects in Indian habitats,” Yadav said, adding that it strengthens optimism about establishing a self-sustaining and genetically diverse population of the spotted cat in India.

Cheetahs were reintroduced in India on September 17, 2022, several decades after they became extinct in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had then released eight animals -- five females and three males -- brought from Namibia, marking the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the species.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav termed the birth of cubs at Kuno a "significant development" that shows "strong signs of adaptation, health and long-term viability" of the cheetah in Indian habitats.

It "reinforces optimism about establishing a self-sustaining and genetically diverse cheetah population in India," he said in a statement, also noting that it was the first known instance in recent history of an Indian-born cheetah reproducing successfully.

The birth strengthens confidence in the country's conservation strategy, the minister added. PTI COR MAS UZM NR KRK