South African cheetah gives birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park
Forest officers, vets, and field staff created a stress-free environment for the cheetahs, which made successful mating and birth possible
A five-year-old cheetah named Gamini has given birth to 5 cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Gamini was brought from Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa.
With these new arrivals, the count of cheetah cubs born in India has reached 13. This is the fourth time cheetahs have had babies in India, but it's the first time for cheetahs from South Africa.
Forest officers, vets, and field staff created a stress-free environment for the cheetahs, which made successful mating and birth possible. Altogether, there are now 26 cheetahs, including the new cubs, in Kuno National Park.
India’s Cheetah programme
Eight cheetahs arrived in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park from Namibia in 2022 as part of India's programme to bring back the feline species. Among them, five are female and three are male.
In November 2022, two male cheetahs were moved to a larger enclosure for further adaptation after completing their mandatory quarantine. In the same month, another male cheetah joined them in the larger enclosure. On November 28, 2022, two female cheetahs were also shifted there. These cheetahs have been observed hunting herbivores like chital.
In January 2023, India signed an agreement with South Africa to reintroduce cheetahs. The first batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa arrived in February 2023. Additionally, the agreement stipulates that South Africa will relocate another 12 cheetahs annually for the next 8 to 10 years.