Bhopal: Mukhi, India’s first cheetah born in the wild under the ambitious ‘Project Cheetah’, has turned three-years-old on Sunday, officials said.
This milestone has been celebrated as a significant achievement for wildlife conservation in Madhya Pradesh and for the national effort to bring back the extinct species.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav shared the joyful news on social media by posting beautiful photos of ‘Mukhi’, describing the moment as one of immense pride for the state and the country.
Chief Minister Yadav highlighted that Mukhi’s third birthday on his official X account and said the right direction of the conservation programme and brings international recognition to Madhya Pradesh’s efforts.
Forest officials continue to monitor the cheetahs closely while ensuring habitat protection and community support.
This milestone strengthens hopes that cheetahs will once again roam freely across suitable landscapes in India, restoring a vital part of the country’s natural heritage.
Mukhi was born on March 29, 2023, to a Namibian cheetah named Jwala at the Kuno National Park.
She is the first cheetah cub to be born on Indian soil after the species disappeared from the country more than seven decades ago.
From a vulnerable cub that was initially abandoned by her mother to a healthy adult, who has herself given birth to five cubs in November 2025, Mukhi’s journey symbolises the growing success of Project Cheetah.
Her successful rearing and reproduction have infused new confidence into the reintroduction programme.
The Kuno National Park, spread across Sheopur and Morena districts in Madhya Pradesh, lies along the banks of the Kuno river.
The Kuno National Park was notified as a national park in 2018 and covers a total area of nearly 748 square km, including the original core zone of about 344 square km.
Its vast open grasslands mixed with dry deciduous forests make it uniquely suitable for cheetahs, distinguishing it from other famous parks like Kanha and Bandhavgarh.
The ecosystem supports a rich prey base, including nilgai, sambar, chital, blackbuck and more than two hundred species of birds.
Prominent trees such as khair, kardhai and salai thrive here, with the kardhai known for drawing moisture directly from the atmosphere.
The cheetah reintroduction began on September 17, 2022, when eight cheetahs from Namibia were released into the Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after seventy years of local extinction.
Since then the park has become a global centre of attention as more animals from South Africa and Botswana have arrived, and several litters of cubs have been born.
Project Cheetah has recorded steady progress, with dozens of Indian-born cubs, now contributing to a growing population.
The ancient forests of Kuno National Park have a long history of wildlife importance.
Mughal records from Emperor Akbar’s time mention elephants and lions in the region.
In the early twentieth century, efforts were made to introduce African lions here under the patronage of Madhavrao Scindia and Lord Curzon, though those plans did not succeed.
Later, the area was developed for Asiatic lion rehabilitation before being selected exclusively for cheetahs.
(IANS)
