Kuno’s new cubs: A Namibian cheetah ‘Jwala’ gave birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday. This comes just weeks after Namibian cheetah 'Aasha' gave birth to her cubs.
"Kuno’s new cubs! Namibian Cheetah named Jwala has given birth to three cubs. This comes just weeks after Namibian Cheetah Aasha gave birth to her cubs," Yadav said in an X post.
Sharing a video on X, the Union Minister further said, "Congratulations to all wildlife frontline warriors and wildlife lovers across the country. May Bharat’s wildlife thrive…"
Watch video here:
Earlier in March 2023, Siyaya, who was later renamed as Jwala, had given birth to four cubs, but only one of them survived. Jwala was also translocated to the KNP from Namibia.
Cheetah Shaurya dies
This good news came days after the demise of the Namibian cheetah 'Shaurya' at Kuno National Park on January 16. Shaurya, brought from Namibia in September 2022, succumbed to health complications, marking the seventh adult cheetah and third cub death since March 2023.
The feline displayed signs of distress, including incoordination and a staggering gait, leading to a tranquilising attempt for assessment.
Earlier, on January 3, a Namibian cheetah Asha gave birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park.
Project Cheetah
Jwala, Aasha and Siyaya are among the cheetahs translocated to India from Namibia under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Project Cheetah', aimed at re-introducing the only large carnivore species that went extinct in independent India.
Cheetah, the fastest land animal, was declared extinct in India in 1952. Cheetahs were translocated to the Kuno National Park from South Africa and Namibia as part of the central government's ambitious plan to revive their population in India.
Under the Cheetah Reintroduction Project, eight big cats from Namibia, including, five females and three males, were released into enclosures at the park on September 17, 2022. In February 2023, another 12 cheetahs were brought to the park from South Africa. In December last year, four cheetahs were released into the wild, but two of them were later captured and shifted to bomas (enclosures).
Project Cheetah involves the relocation of 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park. Launched by the Indian government, it aims to reintroduce cheetahs to the wild in India, where they became extinct nearly seven decades ago.
Also Read: Good news! Namibian cheetah Asha at Kuno National Park gives birth to three cubs
