BHOPAL: In a fresh addition to India’s ambitious Cheetah revival project, South African cheetah 'Gamini' has given birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh.
The birth of three cubs happened two months after the same Cheetah lost one of its 20-month-old cubs in a fatal road accident in the Ghatigaon area of Gwalior district.
The birth of the three cubs to 'Gamini' is historic as it also marked three years of arrival of SA cheetahs at the KNP – the first home to African cheetahs and their Indian born cubs in India.
This is the second time in 23 months that 'Gamini' had given birth. Back on March 10, 2024, the same SA female had delivered six cubs, three of whom (two female and one male sub adult) are thriving.
Gamini is the first SA cheetah at the KNP to have turned mother twice – first in March 2024 and second time now. Before it, two Namibian females – Jwala and Aasha, have turned mothers twice between March 2023 and February 2026.
Sharing the pictures and videos of Gamini and her three newborn cubs, the Union Minister for environment, forests and climate change Bhupender Yadav posted on X, “Kuno welcomes three new cubs – A roaring new chapter at Kuno on the occasion of the completion of three years of arrival of cheetahs from South Africa. Celebrations echo through KNP as Gamini, the SA cheetah and second-time mother, has brought three new cubs into the world. This joyful arrival marks the ninth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil and takes the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 27. With these newest additions, India’s total cheetah population has now reached 38 – a powerful symbol of the country’s determined and historic effort.”
“Each birth strengthens the foundation of Project Cheetah and reflects the passion, perseverance, and the round-the-clock dedication of the field staff and veterinary teams, who have nurtured this dream into reality,” Yadav mentioned in the post.
While congratulating the entire KNP staff over the great news, the Madhya Pradesh chief minister Dr Mohan Yadav, said in Bhopal, “The development was not just special as it marked three years of the arrival of SA cheetahs at KNP, but also important, as it happened ten days before eight cheetahs will be translocated from Botswana to KNP on February 28.”
Importantly, back on February 18, 2023, as many as 12 SA cheetahs (four females and four males) were introduced at the KNP, joining eight Namibian cheetahs, who were the first ones to be introduced at the same park on September 17, 2022 by PM Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday.
Over the past three years, 4 cheetahs (one female and three males) were lost. Of the 8 established individuals, 3 cheetahs (one female and two males) have been translocated to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in western MP – the second home to African cheetahs in India.
The remaining five SA cheetahs (three females and two males) are thriving at the KNP, out of which all three adult females have successfully reproduced, with the total number of currently thriving cubs to SA mothers being 10. They comprise three female sub-adults, four male sub-adults and the three newly born cubs.
Besides Gamini, the two other SA mothers, include Veera, who is currently free-ranging in the wild with her 13-month-old male cub, while Nirva is in a closed natural forest enclosure with her three 10-month-old cubs (one female and two males).
Also, out of the eight Namibian cheetahs, who were released into the KNP by PM Modi on September 17, 2022, three cheetahs (two females and a male) are currently thriving in KNP. Over the past three years, five individuals (three females and two males) died. All three Namibian cheetahs are in KNP. Both established Namibian adult females at KNP have successfully reproduced. The total number of currently thriving cubs born to Namibian mothers is 12, comprising an adult female, a sub-adult female, five male sub-adults, and five newly born cubs The first Indian born adult female cheetah, ‘Mukhi’ has also reproduced successfully and has five cubs who are three months old.
Following the birth of three cubs to SA female Gamini, the total cheetah population in India now stands at 38, with 35 in Kuno National Park and three in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.