Bhopal: In a heartening development for India’s wildlife conservation efforts, a Namibian cheetah named Jwala has recently given birth to three cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This joyful event follows closely after another Namibian cheetah, Aasha, welcomed three cubs a few weeks earlier.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared the exciting news on social media, expressing his congratulations to the dedicated wildlife frontline warriors and enthusiasts across the country. He stated, “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. Congratulations to all wildlife frontline warriors and wildlife lovers across the country. May Bharat’s wildlife thrive.”
Earlier, on January 3, Kuno National Park officials had reported the birth of three cubs to Namibian cheetah Aasha. This ongoing success is a crucial part of ‘Project Cheetah,’ a visionary initiative led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reintroduce the species to India. The cheetahs are translocated from Namibia, and the first batch of eight cheetahs was introduced in September 2022, followed by a second batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa in February. The birth of these cubs is a positive sign for the conservation program, marking milestones in re-establishing the large carnivore species that had gone extinct in independent India.