An Indian-born female cheetah has given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking India’s cheetah population to 60, the government said Monday.

The female, identified as KJP21, is 32 months old. She is the third Indian-born female cheetah recorded to reproduce in India. The five cubs were born on Oct. 5, according to the Press Information Bureau.

The latest births also raise the number of Indian-born cheetahs to 41. The figures include adult cheetahs and surviving cubs in the country’s conservation programme.

New Genetic Lineage From Botswana

The five cubs have a Botswana-born father and an Indian-born mother. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said the births therefore mark the beginning of the Botswana lineage among cheetahs born in India.

Nine cheetahs from Botswana arrived at Kuno in February 2026. They joined animals previously brought from Namibia and South Africa under Project Cheetah.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority says the programme aims to re-establish cheetahs in their former Indian range. It also seeks to support wider conservation of grassland and semi-arid ecosystems.

Project Cheetah Enters A New Phase

Project Cheetah began in 2022, when India received its first group of eight cheetahs from Namibia. A second group of 12 arrived from South Africa in 2023. The Botswana transfer followed in 2026.

The latest births come after earlier reproduction by Indian-born females. In April, KGP12, an Indian-born female, gave birth to four cubs in the wild at Kuno.

Conservation specialists have noted that long-term monitoring remains important. Cheetah reintroduction involves challenges linked to habitat, prey availability, competition and animal movement.

The government said the latest births represent an important step in the emergence of successive generations of cheetahs in India. The animals’ survival and reproduction will remain key measures of the programme’s long-term progress.