Project Cheetah — key facts
Launched: 17 September 2022
Goal: Restore cheetahs to India after 70 years
Imported cheetahs: 20 (8 from Namibia, 12 from South Africa)
Cubs born in India: Over two dozen, including Mukhi’s new litter
Success indicator: First reproduction by an India-born cheetah (Mukhi)
Monitoring tools: Radio collars, drones, camera traps
Future sites: Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, Shahgarh Landscape
India’s edge: World’s first intercontinental cheetah translocation project
Mukhi, just 33 months old, is now the first Indian-born cheetah to reproduce, marking a crucial validation for the world’s first intercontinental cheetah translocation effort launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022.
A story of survival to motherhood
Cheetahs around the world — at a glance
Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus
Fastest land animal: Up to 110km/h
Global population: ~7,000 remaining in the wild
Historic range: Africa, Middle East, Iran, India
Current range: 90% restricted to southern and eastern Africa
Critically endangered population: Iran (only 10–12 Asiatic cheetahs left)
Primary threats: Habitat loss, conflict with livestock farmers, low genetic diversity
Average litter size: 3–4 cubs (Mukhi’s 5 is notably high)
Cheetahs extinct in India: 1952
Reintroduced: 2022 (Namibia & South Africa translocation)
Turning point for India’s wildlife restoration
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