An India-born cheetah has given birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park, a day after India's cheetah reintroduction programme completed four years, taking the national cheetah count to 56.

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• An India-born female cheetah, KGP12, gave birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on September 18, 2026.
• Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the birth on social media, calling it a "historic and joyous moment" for Project Cheetah.
• The announcement came a day after Project Cheetah completed four years since its launch on September 17, 2022.
• KGP12 was herself born in India to Gamini, one of the cheetahs originally translocated from South Africa.
• The new litter takes the total number of cheetahs under Project Cheetah in India from 52 to 56.
• Kuno National Park remains the principal cheetah habitat with 49 animals, while three others are housed at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
• Project Cheetah was launched in 2022 when eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia and released at Kuno, marking the species' return after being declared extinct in India in 1952.
• Twelve more cheetahs were subsequently brought from South Africa to expand the founder population for the reintroduction effort.
• In March 2026, cheetah Jwala had given birth to five cubs, taking the population count to 53 at the time.
• KGP12 had earlier, in April 2026, produced Project Cheetah's first litter born in the wild rather than inside an enclosure, but all four of those cubs were later found dead, likely killed by a leopard.
• The latest birth is significant for showing that India-born cheetahs are now successfully reproducing, supporting the programme's goal of natural population growth.