New Delhi/Sheopur, 11 April (H.S.): The cheetah family at Kuno National Park, located in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, has grown once again. An Indian‑origin female cheetah, “Gamini,” has given birth to four cubs here. With this, the total number of cheetahs in India has risen to 57.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav termed this event a milestone, calling it a major success for India’s wildlife‑conservation campaign.

On Saturday, Yadav said in an X post that this is the first recorded birth of cheetahs in the wild since the reintroduction of cheetahs in 2022, and importantly, the first such case involving an Indian‑origin female cheetah. He said this achievement is a significant step towards fulfilling the core objectives of the project: ensuring the survival and natural breeding of cheetahs in India under wild conditions.

Yadav added that this success demonstrates the cheetahs’ increasing adaptability to Indian ecological conditions and is proof of the sustained conservation and scientific‑management efforts at Kuno National Park.

The Union Minister also praised the dedication and relentless efforts of the wildlife managers, veterinarians, and field staff involved in the cheetah conservation programme, describing this moment as one of pride for the nation and extending heartfelt congratulations to everyone associated with the project.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav shared a photograph of the female cheetah Gamini with her cubs on the social‑media platform X. He wrote that Madhya Pradesh is now emerging as a key centre for the “restoration” of cheetahs.

The birth of four cubs to an Indian‑origin female cheetah, a 25‑month‑old offspring of cheetah Gamini, in the open forests of Kuno, he said, testifies that the land of Madhya Pradesh is fully conducive to the expansion of the cheetah lineage. He stated that the state’s commitment to nature and wildlife conservation is bearing fruit and extended his congratulations to Kuno’s managers and wildlife veterinarians for this achievement.

Meanwhile, officials of the forest department said that the female cheetah Gamini had been living in the open forests for over a year and had fully adapted to natural conditions. A cub’s birth in the wild, they said, indicates that Kuno’s environment is now proving suitable for cheetahs and that they are able to breed safely here.

Chief Conservator of Forests Uttam Kumar Sharma said that the female cheetah Gamini has delivered four cubs. This success, he said, is a major step towards achieving the project’s main objectives. The aim of the project is to establish cheetahs in a natural habitat and to ensure their successful breeding. He added that the cheetah Gamini, now a mother, is reproducing successfully, which is a sign of the long‑term success of the project.

Officials of Kuno National Park said that the female cheetah Gamini and all her newborn cubs are in full health and are under continuous monitoring. With the arrival of these four tiny guests, the total number of cheetahs in India has risen to 57, of which 54 are in Kuno National Park, while the remaining three cheetahs have been released into the open forests of Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur district.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar