India’s cheetah population grows as mother raises new cubs
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In Madhya Pradesh, India, KGP12, a cheetah born in India to a South African import, recently gave birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park.
KGP12 first became a mother in April, but a leopard killed all four of those cubs within a month. This time, she delivered her litter inside a secured enclosure, which offers the cubs increased protection during their vulnerable early weeks.
KGP12’s mother, Gamini, was one of the first cheetahs brought to India from South Africa in 2023 as part of Project Cheetah, a program that began in September 2022 with the goal of re-establishing a wild cheetah population. KGP12 represents the first generation of cheetahs born in India since the reintroduction began, and her new cubs are the next generation. The birth of these four cubs brings India’s total cheetah population to 56, with 36 born within the country.
Forest officials are monitoring KGP12 and her cubs from a distance, intervening as little as possible to allow her to care for them naturally, knowing that newborn cheetah cubs are especially vulnerable to predators.
