India-born cheetah gives birth to five cubs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park

In this image posted on September 18, 2026, an Indian-born female cheetah, KGP12, rests with her four newborn cubs at Kuno National Park, in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh. | Photo Credit: PTI

An India-born cheetah has given birth to five cubs in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, taking the total number of big cats in the country to 60, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Monday (October 5, 2026).

The father is a cheetah brought from Botswana, and the birth of these cubs marks the beginning of the Botswana lineage in India, adding a new genetic lineage to the country's growing cheetah population, a government statement said.