First Cheetah Cubs Born in India After More Than 70 Years

India is celebrating a landmark event in their conservation history as four cheetah cubs have been born after more than 70 years.

The cubs were born in the Kuno National Park wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh to one of the eight cheetahs that were relocated from Namibia in September 2022.

Bhupender Yadav – who is the Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment as well as Environment, Forest and Climate Change – shared the good news via Twitter on Wednesday, 29 March, with an adorable video of the cubs snuggled up together.

The Asiatic breed of cheetahs was declared extinct in the early 1950s due to habitat loss, prey decline, and locals hunting them for trophies. In an effort to rehabilitate the species within the country, the government hopes to relocate 50 of the animals in the next five years.

Namibia sent eight of their beloved creatures while South Africa contributed a further 12.

While the professionals within the sanctuaries have done their best to make the transition for the spotted big cats as easy as they can, they haven’t always succeeded. Unfortunately, one of the relocated animals passed away on Monday, 27 March, due to kidney failure.

However, according to local news sources, a second cheetah is also expected to give birth soon.

Image Credit: Source