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Cheetah with cubs (Representative Image)
India’s cheetah reintroduction programme marked another significant milestone on Friday after Aasha, a cheetah translocated from Namibia, gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park.
The birth has taken the country’s total cheetah population to 35, officials associated with the project confirmed. The development was announced by Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) on his official account on X, dated February 7, 2026.“Kuno Welcomes the Birth of FIVE Cubs. Aasha’s legacy leaps forward—India welcomes her five adorable cubs! A moment of immense pride and joy for Project Cheetah as Aasha, the Namibian cheetah and a proud second-time mother, gave birth to five cubs on 7th February 2026 at Kuno National Park.
With this, the tally of Indian-born surviving cubs rises to 24, marking the eighth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil—a significant milestone in India’s cheetah conservation journey, undertaken and nurtured under the environmentally-conscious leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji.
This joyous achievement stands as a shining testimony to the unwavering dedication, skill, and commitment of the field staff and veterinarians working tirelessly on the ground.
May Aasha and her cubs thrive, flourish, and sprint India’s cheetah story to even greater success. With their arrival, the total cheetah population in India now stands at 35. A truly historic and heart-warming moment for wildlife conservation in India,” the post reads.
Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on X
According to the minister, the litter was born on February 7 and represents the eighth successful cheetah litter in India since the programme was launched in September 2022.
With this birth, the number of Indian-born cheetah cubs that have survived now stands at 24. Aasha has now become a second-time mother.The successful birth of a second litter within a relatively short span has been viewed by wildlife managers as an encouraging indicator of the cheetahs’ adjustment to Indian conditions, including climate, prey availability and habitat structure.
From Namibia to Kuno
Aasha is part of the founding group of cheetahs translocated from Namibia when India launched Project Cheetah on September 17, 2022.
On that day, eight cheetahs were released at Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the return of the species to India after it was declared extinct in the country in 1952. After arrival, Aasha underwent a period of quarantine and acclimatisation before being released into the park.
Officials said she soon emerged as one of the more stable individuals in the population, showing strong adaptation and reproductive behaviour. Twelve additional cheetahs were later brought from South Africa in 2023 to increase genetic diversity and strengthen the founding population.
What the new cheetah births mean for wildlife travel in central India
- Central India is no longer only about tigers: For decades, wildlife travel in central India has revolved almost entirely around tiger reserves such as Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench and Satpura. The steady growth of the cheetah population at Kuno National Park introduces a new, distinct wildlife narrative.
- Kuno is emerging as a long-term destination, not a one-season attraction: For travellers, this means Kuno is being positioned as a future-focused destination rather than an immediately commercialised safari park.
- Wildlife travel will remain conservation-first for now: For wildlife travellers, this sets expectations. Sightings may be rare, and safari routes may be limited. This aligns Kuno more closely with low-impact, high-awareness wildlife travel.
- Change in tourism pattern towards grasslands and open forests: As cheetahs attract tourist attention in grasslands and open forests, this will create awareness about tourism in those landscapes as well. Eventually, it will result in tourist itineraries in central India including grasslands as part of the tourist route as well.
- Tourism growth is going to be slow and controlled: For the tourists, this means a scarcity of accommodations in the short term, an emphasis on controlled safaris, and a focus on educational rather than mass tourism.
- Central India gets a year-round conservation story: Tiger tourism in central India is a seasonal activity. The cheetah program provides central India with a year-round conservation story.
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