New Delhi, Feb. 28 -- India's cheetah population has risen to 39 following the confirmation of a fourth cub born to South African female Gamini at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, even as eight more cheetahs from Botswana are set to arrive at the park on Saturday, marking another significant step in the country's ambitious reintroduction programme, Project Cheetah.

Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that the fourth cub was confirmed during intensive field monitoring by wildlife and veterinary teams. The litter was initially reported as three earlier on February 18, but close surveillance established the presence of a fourth cub.

The addition takes the country's total cheetah population to 39, including 28 cubs born in India since the project's inception.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav welcomed the birth of Gamini's fourth cub, saying it reflects Madhya Pradesh's commitment to scientific conservation under Project Cheetah and strengthens India's cheetah reintroduction efforts.

Gamini, translocated in February 2023, has now delivered her second litter in India. From her earlier pregnancy, three sub-adult cubs are healthy. The steady birth of cubs is being seen as a positive indicator for the long-term success of Project Cheetah, launched on September 17 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reintroduce the species to India after it was declared extinct in 1952.

Adding to the momentum, eight cheetahs - six females and two males - are being airlifted from Botswana to India in what will be the third major intercontinental translocation under the project. The animals will be flown to Gwalior by a special aircraft and then transported to KNP by Indian Air Force helicopters. Upon arrival, they will be placed in specially prepared quarantine enclosures for about a month before gradual release into larger habitats.

Officials said the project has progressed beyond acclimatisation to focus on permanent establishment and breeding. Of the 12 cheetahs brought from South Africa, eight are now settled in Kuno, while others have been shifted to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary for expansion.

Within three years, India's cheetah reintroduction effort has evolved into a globally watched conservation initiative to restore the world's fastest land animal to its historic range.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.