On 29 March, Madhya Pradesh and India proudly and joyously celebrated the third birthday of cheetah ‘Mukhi’ – the first cheetah born in India after more than seven decades, and also the first India-born cheetah to procreate and give birth to five healthy cubs.
Mukhi was born at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh to Namibian cheetah ‘Jwala’.
The life and story of cheetah ‘Mukhi’ has become a symbol of India’s determination to reintroduce cheetahs, along with exemplary scientific management and commitment to conservation.
From a tiny cub to a confident, fast-running adult cheetah, and now a mother, Mukhi’s journey has been inspiring. Her story reflects that efforts towards cheetah conservation and rehabilitation in India are moving in the right direction.
Cheetah Mukhi was born with three more siblings on 29 March 2023. However, Mukhi was the only survivor, as her three siblings unfortunately could not survive due to the severe heat.
Moreover, following the death of her three cubs, the shocked mother, Jwala, rejected Mukhi as well.
Not deterred by that, the Forest Department and veterinarians at Kuno took all the more special care in raising Mukhi.
She was trained and protected through scientific methods to adapt to Indian climatic conditions. As a result of dedicated and coordinated efforts, Mukhi developed into a strong and self-reliant cheetah.
The initial circumstances were extremely challenging, but with continuous monitoring and care by veterinarians and wildlife experts at Kuno National Park, Mukhi grew to be a healthy cheetah.
Then came the moment of her second historic feat. In November 2025, at the age of two years and seven months, Mukhi gave birth to five healthy cubs. This was the first instance of an India-born cheetah giving birth in the country.
With this, the second generation of cheetahs arrived on Indian soil, further strengthening the success of the ‘Cheetah Project’ in Madhya Pradesh and drawing global attention in the field of wildlife conservation.
Having completed three years of age, Mukhi is now fully grown and healthy, thriving in her natural habitat along with her cubs. This achievement demonstrates that the environment and wildlife management practices at Kuno National Park are suitable for supporting the natural life cycle of translocated cheetahs.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav expressed immense happiness and pride on the occasion.
“The third birthday of cheetah ‘Mukhi’, born in Kuno, is a moment of pride not only for the state but for wildlife conservation across the country,” Dr Yadav stated.
The CM informed that to further strengthen cheetah conservation, efforts are also underway to develop a joint cheetah conservation landscape between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. This initiative will provide a new dimension to wildlife conservation at the regional level.
He noted that the growing number of cheetahs is also increasing the potential for eco-tourism in the Kuno and Chambal regions, creating new employment opportunities for local youth and strengthening the regional economy.
Continuous monitoring through radio tracking, drones and field teams is being carried out to ensure the safety of cheetahs and monitor their activities. This also enables scientific study of their behaviour and adaptation to the habitat.
The last cheetah in India was shot dead in 1947 in the Korea district of present-day Chhattisgarh. Consequently, the feline was declared extinct in India in 1952.
After more than seven decades, India launched ‘Project Cheetah’ at the KNP, to reintroduce cheetahs and revive their population in India through intercontinental translocation.
PM Narendra Modi, on his 72nd birthday on 17 September 2022, released the first set of eight cheetahs brought from Namibia.
In February 2023, a dozen more cheetahs were brought to KNP from South Africa.
Most recently, nine more cheetahs have been flown into the KNP from Botswana on 28 February this year.
Mukhi’s third birthday not only marks the success story of a single animal but also signifies an important milestone in the historic return of cheetahs to India. It demonstrates that with dedicated efforts and visionary leadership, Madhya Pradesh is achieving new milestones in wildlife conservation.
Interestingly, Mukhi’s story cannot be complete without mention of her mother Jwala, who was among the first eight cheetahs brought to KNP from Namibia, where she was called ‘Siyaya’. Rechristened as ‘Jwala’ at KNP, she recently gave birth to her third successful litter of five cubs on 9 March 2026 at the KNP.
This litter marked the 10th successful litter by cheetahs at the KNP. Besides the three litters of Jwala and one of Mukhi, Namibian cheetah Aasha, and South Africa-born Gamini, Veera and Nirva have all reproduced at the park.
Jwala’s latest litter increased the number of healthy and thriving India-born cubs to 33.
It also took the total cheetah population in India to 53, including 33 cubs and 17 adults at the KNP, and three adult cheetahs at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Ujjain division, which were translocated there from KNP.
All the cheetahs in India are only in Madhya Pradesh.