A 24-month-old Indian-born cheetah has given birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park on Saturday, marking the first recorded wild birth of a cheetah at the Madhya Pradesh sanctuary, officials said.

“A historic moment unfolds at Kuno National Park as an Indian-born female Cheetah of Gamini, aged 25 months, has given birth to four cubs in the wild—marking a major milestone in India’s cheetah conservation journey,” Union environment and forest minister Bhupender Yadav wrote on X.

The birth takes the cheetah count in India to 57, officials said. The female is an offspring of Gamini, a South African-born cheetah.

The minister said this is the first recorded wild birth at Kuno since cheetahs were brought to India in 2022, and the first involving an Indian-born female.

“This is a significant step toward achieving the core objectives of the project—survival and breeding under natural conditions," Yadav further said in his post on X.

Officials said the birth points to adaptation of cheetahs to Indian conditions and credited field staff, veterinarians and park managers for the programme. “It was a proud moment for the nation, Yadav added.

A total of 49 cubs have been born in 11 litters at Kuno since 2023, with 37 surviving, officials said. All seven adult female cheetahs at the park have produced litters. The cheetah population in India, including cubs, stands at 57, an official said.

Cheetahs went extinct in India in the 1950s. Under the reintroduction programme, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia in September 2022, followed by 12 from South Africa in February 2023.

A third batch of nine arrived from Botswana on February 28 this year. Three cheetahs have been moved to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, while the rest remain at Kuno. Officials said the animals are kept across sites to reduce disease risk.