Historic achievement for Project Cheetah: India born Mukhi gives birth to 5 cubs, becomes first female cheetah born in India to breed
Mukhi, a cheetah born in India, has given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This news was shared by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who called it an important milestone for Project Cheetah.
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav congratulated the Kuno team and the Forest Department for this significant achievement.
On social media, Yadav said that this is a historic achievement for India's efforts to bring back cheetahs. He said that both Mukhi and her cubs are doing well.
Mukhi is the first female cheetah born in India, and at 33 months old, she has now successfully had cubs. This is a big success for Project Cheetah.
Yadav said that the birth of the cubs shows that cheetahs can adapt and thrive in India, which is a positive sign for the future of the species in the country. He said this is a step toward creating a healthy and diverse population of cheetahs in India.
This achievement is a major step towards establishing a self-sustaining, stable, and genetically diverse cheetah population in India. This will bolster the country's long-term conservation goals and strengthen India's global image in the field of wildlife conservation.
Currently, the total number of cheetahs in India has reached 32, with 29 housed in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh and three in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. This number demonstrates the sustainability of the cheetah relocation project.
Cheetahs born in India can successfully breed
Mukhi is the offspring of the Namibian female cheetah Jwala (Siyaya). Birth of five cubs establishes that cheetahs born in India can successfully breed in the Indian environment. This achievement marks a turning point in India's wildlife conservation efforts, raising hopes for the long-term future of the cheetah in the country.
The birth of five cubs by Mukhi (Jwala's offspring) marks an unprecedented generational leap for Project Cheetah. If Jwala is considered the first generation, then Mukhi is the second generation, and Mukhi's cubs are the third generation.
Cheetahs were brought back to India on September 17, 2022, many years after they disappeared from the country.