New Delhi: An Indian-born female cheetah has given birth to five healthy cubs at Kuno National Park, taking India’s cheetah population to 60, including 41 born in the country, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said on Monday.
KJP21, a 32-month-old Indian-born female cheetah, delivered the cubs at Kuno, marking another milestone for Project Cheetah.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said KJP21 is the third Indian-born female cheetah to give birth, after Mukhi and KGP12. He described the development as an important step in the emergence of the next generation of India’s cheetah population.
Yadav said the cubs also mark the beginning of the Botswana lineage in India, as their father is a male cheetah from Botswana. He said the new lineage would add to the genetic diversity of India’s growing cheetah population.
The minister described the birth as another generation of cheetahs born on Indian soil and a new chapter in the country’s cheetah reintroduction programme.
Yadav congratulated the veterinarians, field staff, park managers and others associated with Project Cheetah, crediting their efforts and commitment for the development.
