“Purrs in the wild” Kuno National park welcomes three cheetah cubs

Namibian Cheetah ‘Aasha’on Wednesday gave birth to three cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh which is seen as a “roaring success” for Project Cheetah.

Union Minister for Environment Bhupendra shared the news of the arrival of new cubs on social media.

“Purrs in the wild! Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha. This is a roaring success for Project Cheetah, envisioned by PM Shri @narendramodi ji to restore ecological balance. My big congrats to all experts involved in the project, the Kuno wildlife officials, and wildlife enthusiasts across India” Bhupender said on Twitter.

The much-anticipated birth of these cubs stands as a beacon of hope for restoring the cheetah population in India.

Aasha’s successful delivery marks a significant milestone in the ongoing conservation initiatives championed by wildlife authorities and environmentalists nationwide.

The Prime Minister had bestowed the name ‘Aasha,’ meaning ‘hope,’ upon the cheetah.

The first batch of Cheetah was introduced in India under Project Cheetah, from Namibia on September 17, 2022. But since then, six cheetahs and three cubs born in the park have died.

A total of 20 adult African cheetahs have been brought into India. The initial group of eight cheetahs arrived on September 17, 2022, followed by another batch of 12 from South Africa on February 18, 2023.

Towards the end of March 2023, one of the female cheetahs gave birth to a litter of four cubs that were conceived within India.

In July 2022, the Government of India signed an MoU with the Republic of Namibia for cheetah conservation, resulting in the translocation of eight cheetahs from Namibia to India in September 2022.

In January 2023, an MoU was signed with the Republic of South Africa for cooperation in cheetah conservation, and a batch of 12 cheetahs (7 males, 5 females) were translocated from South Africa to India in February 2023.