India: Namibian cheetah Jwala gives birth to three cubs at Kuno National Park

A Namibian Cheetah gave birth to three cubs in India's Madhya Pradesh, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday (Jan 23).

"Kuno's new cubs! A Namibian cheetah named Jwala has given birth to three cubs. This comes just weeks after Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to her cubs," Yadav wrote on X.

"Congratulations to all wildlife frontline warriors and wildlife lovers across the country. May Bharat's wildlife thrive," he further said.

This comes weeks after three cubs were born to another cub named Aasha at the Kuno National Park, the officials said.

In March 2023, Jwala (Namibian name Siyaya) also gave birth to four cubs but only one of them survived.

Jwala and Aasha, among other cheetahs, were brought to India from Namibia under PM Modi's Project Cheetah aimed at re-introducing the species that was declared extinct in India in the year 1952.

The very first batch of cheetahs, which comprised eight felines, were translocated to India in September 2022. The second batch consisting of 12 cheetahs was transported from South Africa last February.

The cheetah conservation project, however, has been heavily critiqued over the deaths of seven of the 20 adults imported from Namibia and South Africa.

Recently on Jan 16, a cheetah named Shaurya passed away at the Kuno National Park.

The additional chief conservator of forest and the director of the Lion Project at Kuno said that the feline showed signs of incoordination and a staggering gait after which it was taken for medical examination.

WATCH | India: Namibian Cheetah Shaurya dies at Kuno National Park

"After observing these signs, the cheetah was tranquillised and a weakness was determined during a medical examination. Despite reviving the cheetah through medical intervention, it developed some post-revival complications that eventually resulted in its demise. The animal failed to respond to CPR efforts," the APCCF and the director of Lion Project was quoted as saying in the statement.

The officials elucidating on the challenges they faced in the first year of managing the cheetahs, said that the felines developed unprecedented winter furs during the Indian summer and monsoon season (June to September) in anticipation of the African winter, which further caused discomfort in animals

Some of them developed cuts and rashes as the humidity in the weather prompted them to scratch their necks on tree trunks further leading to bacterial infections and septicemia, which claimed the lives of the three cheetahs, said an official.

"The mortalities under Project Cheetah so far have been within the expected limits. As per the Cheetah Action Plan, we anticipated approximately 50 per cent mortality. Right now, 14 imported cheetahs are surviving, besides one cub born on Indian soil," SP Yadav, additional director general of forests in the Union Environment Ministry, had said earlier.

(With inputs from agencies)