Go forth and breed, MP ‘tells’ cheetahs; sets target of 50

Bhopal: Cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh now have a target, literally – its population must ideally reach 50 by the end of this year, a goal set by chief minister Mohan Yadav. And, they already have good news to share. Gamini, the South African female cheetah introduced at the Kuno National Park three years ago under Project Cheetah, gave birth to three cubs on Wednesday, while three were born to another cheetah, Aasha, earlier this month. The chief minister set the goal of raising the state's cheetah population to 50 within the year at a review meeting of Project Cheetah recently, banking on repeat breeding cycles and improved cub survival. Officials say the survival of second-generation cubs and multiple successful mothers — particularly Aasha and Gamini — mark a consolidation phase for the reintroduction programme.With continuous monitoring in place and breeding momentum sustained, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether Kuno can translate this steady reproductive success into achieving the 50-cheetah milestone in 2026, an official who was present in the meeting told TOI. The latest litter, delivered by South African female Gamini, coincides with the completion of three years since African cheetahs were reintroduced to India under Project Cheetah.While Gamini's second litter of three cubs has drawn attention, much of the state's optimism rests on Namibian-origin cheetah ‘Aasha', who has emerged as one of the strongest breeding females at Kuno. The female cheetah was christened by PM Narendra Modi. Aasha has delivered two litters so far — three cubs in Jan 2024 and five cubs in Feb this year — taking her total thriving cubs to eight. Her second litter this year is seen as a major boost in the state's effort to accelerate population growth.Gamini, brought from South Africa in Feb 2023, first delivered three cubs in Mar 2024 (two females and one male), who are now sub-adults. With her latest three newborn cubs, her total thriving offspring stands at six.Among other South African females, Veera delivered one male cub in Feb 2025 and is currently free-ranging with her. Nirva delivered three cubs (one female and two males) in Apr 2025 and remains in a natural forest enclosure with her litter. Together, South African mother cheetahs account for 10 thriving cubs, while Namibian mothers account for 12, taking the total number of thriving Indian-born cubs to 27. The overall cheetah population in India now stands at 38, including 35 in Kuno and three in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. Since 2023, 39 cubs have been born in India, of which 27 are currently surviving.