BHOPAL: A South African female cheetah, Veera, and her ten-month-old twin cubs were released into the free-ranging forests of Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) on Thursday.
The release by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, marked International Cheetah Day at KNP, the first Indian home to African (Namibian and South African) cheetahs since September 2022.
The mother and cubs, born in India in February, were released in the Parond forest area, a designated tourism zone. Their presence is expected to boost ecotourism and public engagement with Project Cheetah.
Post-release monitoring will continue through advanced radio-tracking and field teams to ensure the animals’ safety and successful integration into the landscape.
Veera, known for her adventurous behaviour, previously strayed out of Kuno during the summer of 2024, travelling through villages and jungles of Morena district into neighbouring Gwalior. In May 2024, she attacked a herd of goats, killing three in front of a shepherd.
The latest release comes two weeks after a landmark development at Kuno, the birth of five cubs to 33-month-old Mukhi, the first Indian-born female cheetah to an African mother.
The six-year-old Veera and her cubs now join 16 other cheetahs and cubs already living and hunting independently in the park’s forests, often dispersing into adjacent districts of Gwalior and Morena, as well as parts of Rajasthan. These include two females, Jwala and Asha, and their six cubs each.
Namibian female Jwala and her four cubs were released into the forest in February 2025. One of her cubs, a 20-month-old female, died reportedly after a fight with a leopard on September 15.
Kuno currently hosts eight adult cheetahs and 21 cubs. Meanwhile, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur and Neemuch districts is home to three South African cheetahs, a male coalition and a female.
On Thursday, the Chief Minister also released Kuno’s 2026 calendar and the newly developed Field Manual for Clinical Management of Free-Ranging Cheetahs in Kuno National Park. He further inaugurated the park’s new souvenir shop, aimed at enriching visitor experience and promoting conservation awareness.