Mukhi, a female cheetah born in Kuno National Park on 29 March 2023, has turned 2.5 years old (2025), becoming the first India-born cheetah under Project Cheetah to reach adulthood.
- Symbolizes resilience, conservation success, and India’s efforts to reintroduce cheetahs after their extinction in the 1950s.
Mukhi’s Story: Struggles and Survival
- Birth: One of four cubs born to Jwala (a Namibian cheetah).
- Tragedy: Three cubs died due to extreme heat; Mukhi was abandoned.
- Rescue: On 23 May 2023, Mukhi was found weak and was placed under medical supervision.
- Rehabilitation: Recovered health and learned hunting skills, marking her independence.
- Outcome: First among 16 India-born cubs to reach adulthood.
Significance for Project Cheetah
- Major milestone: First successful adulthood of an India-born cheetah.
- Validates conservation efforts and rewilding measures at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
- Inspires future cheetah conservation and biodiversity goals in India.
Challenges Faced by Project Cheetah
- Imported cheetahs: 20 brought from Namibia & South Africa (2022–23).
- Deaths: 9 imported adults and 10 cubs (total 19).
- Current status:
- 27 cheetahs total in India (11 adults + 16 cubs).
- 3 cheetahs relocated to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Survival rate of cubs: 61% (higher than global average of 40%).
- Concerns: Mortality due to heat stress, adaptation challenges, and ecosystem integration.
- Positives: Net population growth, higher cub survival, and successful rehabilitation cases like Mukhi.
Project Cheetah
- Launched: 17 September 2022 by PM Narendra Modi at Kuno National Park.
- Objective: Reintroduce cheetahs in India after 70+ years of extinction.
- Historic aspect: World’s first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore.
- Translocations:
- 8 cheetahs from Namibia (2022).
- 12 cheetahs from South Africa (2023).
- Future plans: Import 8–10 more cheetahs by December 2025 from African nations (Botswana, Namibia).
Key Facts
- Cheetah extinction in India: Declared extinct in 1952, last spotted in Koriya district, Chhattisgarh.
- Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus.
- Cheetah speed: Fastest land animal, can reach 100–120 km/h in short bursts.
- Habitat in India (historical): Grasslands & semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP, and Chhattisgarh.
- Kuno National Park:
- Location: Madhya Pradesh.
- Area: ~748 sq. km.
- Originally proposed for Asiatic Lion relocation from Gir.
- Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Location: Madhya Pradesh (Mandsaur & Neemuch districts).
- Declared Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974, now second site for cheetah rehabilitation.
- Global cheetah population: ~7,000 (IUCN Red List – Vulnerable).