‘Purrs In The Wild’: Namibian Cheetah 'Aasha' Gives Birth To 3 Cubs At MP's Kuno National Park | WATCH

Months after Namibian Cheetahs were reintroduced in India, a Namibian Cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park (KNP) located in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, Union minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.

The Union minister also termed the development “a roaring success for Project Cheetah envisioned by PM Narendra Modi to restore ecological balance”. He further congratulated the project experts, Kuno wildlife officials and wildlife enthusiasts across India on the development.

“Purrs in the wild! Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha,” Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav wrote on X.

In March 2023, Siyaya, who was later renamed as Jwala, had given birth to four cubs, but only one of them survived. Jwala was also translocated to Madhya Pradesh’s national park from Namibia.

On September 17, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday under ‘Project Cheetah’ released eight Namibian Cheetahs into the Kuno National Park. Notably, female Cheetah Aasha was among the first batch of eight Cheetahs brought to India. The name ‘Aasha’ was given by the Prime Minister to the Cheetah meaning ‘hope’.

Later, in February 2023, 12 more cheetahs arrived at the park from South Africa.

Project Cheetah

With an aim to reintroduce Cheetahs to India, Project Cheetah was launched by the Government of India on September 17, 2022, with the translocation of Cheetahs from South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The goal of Project Cheetah is to establish a viable Cheetah population in the country to improve the health of the ecosystems and boost ecotourism.