A cheetah at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has given birth to five cubs, marking a joyful milestone for Project Cheetah, India’s ambitious effort to reintroduce the big cat.

Forest officials said the mother and cubs are healthy and under close watch. The birth takes the park’s cheetah count higher and signals that the animals are adapting well to Indian conditions after being translocated from Africa.

Cheetahs went extinct in India over 70 years ago. The reintroduction project began in 2022 with animals brought from Namibia and South Africa, and has seen both successes and setbacks, including cub deaths in the early phases.

Each successful litter strengthens the case for the project. Conservationists say breeding in the wild is the true test of reintroduction, proving the habitat can support a growing population.

Officials said more cheetahs may be moved to other sites, including Gandhi Sagar sanctuary, as part of the plan to build a meta-population. For now, the five new cubs are the stars of Kuno, and a symbol of hope for the species’ comeback in India.