Namibian female cheetah Jwala gives birth to 5 cubs:Family expands at Kuno National Park, total number of cheetah increases to 53 in India

Good news has emerged from Kuno National Park in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh. Namibian female cheetah Jwala gave birth to five healthy cubs on March 9. With this addition, the total number of cheetahs in India has now risen to 53. On Monday, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav shared the update on social media, hailing it as a historic achievement for Project Cheetah and wildlife conservation. He wrote that after arriving at Kuno, Jwala has fully adapted to the environment and has become one of the park’s most successful female cheetahs. Jwala’s Third Litter Jwala, formerly named Siaya, was among the eight cheetahs released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kuno in September 2022. This is her third litter. Her first litter, in March 2023, produced four cubs, of which only one, Mukhi, survived. Her second litter, born in January 2024, consisted of three cubs. Now, on March 9, 2026, Jwala has delivered five cubs, marking her third successful birth at the park. Forest Department monitoring Forest department officials confirmed that Jwala and all five newborn cubs are in good health. A team of experts is keeping a close watch on the cubs’ safety and wellbeing through CCTV monitoring and field surveillance. This successful birth is being celebrated as another milestone in India’s efforts to revive cheetah populations under Project Cheetah, strengthening biodiversity and wildlife conservation initiatives in the country.