Project Cheetah milestone as Aasha gives birth to five cubs in MP’s Kuno. NEW DELHI: Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday announced the birth of five cubs to Aasha, a Namibian cheetah under Project Cheetah, at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking India’s total cheetah population to 35 and the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 24. Sharing the update on X, Yadav said Aasha delivered the cubs on February 7, marking the eighth successful cheetah litter in the country. “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 Narendra Modi,” he wrote. The minister also praised the field staff and veterinarians involved in the project. “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,” he added. Earlier in the week, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav said eight more cheetahs would be brought from Botswana later this month. He said he held detailed discussions with Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi on arrangements for the next phase of the reintroduction programme, along with tourism development, expansion of reserve forests and wildlife conservation in the state. “Today, I met with forest minister Bhupender Yadav, discussed tourism development, expansion of reserve forests, and wildlife conservation in the state. We are transporting wild buffalo from Assam to Madhya Pradesh and need assistance with the relocation. Additionally, eight cheetahs will also arrive in MP from Botswana on February 28, and we discussed the necessary cooperation and arrangements for the arrival of the big cat,” the chief minister told reporters. Project Cheetah is the world’s first intercontinental large carnivore translocation programme. It was launched on September 17, 2022, with the aim of reintroducing the species to India, where cheetahs had gone extinct in 1952.
