Overview
- Mukhi, who turned three on Sunday, is the first cheetah born in India under Project Cheetah and the first India-born female to give birth.
- Born on March 29, 2023 to the Namibian female Jwala, she was abandoned as a cub, rescued by Kuno staff, and is now raising five cubs born on November 20, 2025.
- Project officials report 53 cheetahs in India, with 45 cubs across 10 litters since 2023 and 33 cubs surviving at Kuno.
- The reintroduction drew 8 cheetahs from Namibia in 2022, 12 from South Africa in February 2023, and 9 from Botswana on February 28, 2026, with three adults since moved to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Leaders and scientists say Mukhi’s progress shows Kuno’s grasslands and close veterinary care can support a self-sustaining population concentrated in Madhya Pradesh for now.