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3 more cheetah cubs born in Kuno

February 18, 2026 3 min read Environment & Ecology GS3 (Environment Conservation)
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What Happened

  • Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the birth of three new cheetah cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on February 18, 2026
  • The cubs were born to Gamini, a South African cheetah and a second-time mother, marking her second successful litter in India
  • With these births, India's total cheetah population has risen to 38, including adults and cubs born on Indian soil
  • February 2026 was an exceptionally productive month: eight cubs were born in total, with five born earlier to Namibian cheetah Aasha on February 7
  • This coincides with the completion of three years since the South African batch arrived at KNP, representing India's ninth successful cheetah litter on native soil

Static Topic Bridges

Project Cheetah — India's Cheetah Reintroduction Programme

Project Cheetah is the world's first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation programme, aimed at reintroducing the cheetah to India after the species went extinct on the subcontinent in the 1950s. India's last known Asiatic cheetahs were shot in 1947 in present-day Chhattisgarh. The project is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and international conservation bodies including the Cheetah Conservation Fund (Namibia).

  • Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) went extinct in India circa 1952; only Iran retains a critically endangered population today (~12 individuals)
  • African cheetahs (southeast African subspecies, Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) were chosen as a substitute given the near-extinction of Asiatic cheetahs
  • September 17, 2022: PM Modi released the first batch of 8 Namibian cheetahs at Kuno National Park — the first cheetahs on Indian soil in 75 years
  • February 2023: A second batch of 12 South African cheetahs arrived, bringing the total to 20 translocated individuals
  • Kuno National Park, located in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh, was selected as the primary reintroduction site after a long scientific evaluation
  • Supreme Court initially stayed the project in 2012 but reversed its order in January 2020, paving the way for implementation

Connection to this news: Gamini's second successful litter demonstrates that translocated cheetahs are adapting well enough to breed repeatedly on Indian soil, a critical benchmark for the long-term viability of the reintroduction programme.

Kuno National Park — Ecology and Conservation Significance

Kuno National Park (originally Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary) was upgraded to a National Park in 2018 and spans approximately 748 sq km in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. It lies within the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion, characterised by open grasslands, savanna habitats, and Vindhya plateau terrain — all considered suitable for cheetah prey and movement patterns.

  • Area: approximately 748 sq km (core zone); total landscape ~6,800 sq km with buffer zones
  • Habitat type: dry deciduous forest with open grassland patches ideal for cheetah hunting
  • The park was earlier identified as a secondary reintroduction site for Asiatic lions (transferred from Gir) before being repurposed for cheetahs
  • IUCN status of Cheetah: Vulnerable globally (estimated 7,000 wild individuals, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa); fastest land animal, capable of 112 km/h

Connection to this news: The repeated breeding success at Kuno validates the habitat suitability assessment and the park's management practices, strengthening the case for expanding the programme to additional sites such as Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

Key Facts & Data

  • India's total cheetah population as of February 18, 2026: 38 (adults + cubs)
  • Cheetahs translocated to India: 8 from Namibia (Sept 2022) + 12 from South Africa (Feb 2023) = 20 total
  • Total India-born cubs recorded to date: 9 successful litters
  • Mother Gamini is a second-time mother — this is her second litter at KNP
  • February 2026 total cubs: 8 (3 from Gamini + 5 from Aasha)
  • Global cheetah population: approximately 7,000 in the wild (IUCN Vulnerable)
  • Kuno National Park area: ~748 sq km (core zone), Madhya Pradesh