Environment minister says Namibian cheetah at Kuno gave birth to four cubs, not three
Namibian cheetah Jwala has given birth to four cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh and not three, as reported previously, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday. The births, first reported on Tuesday, came just weeks after three cubs were born to another Namibian cheetah, Aasha.
Yadav said in a post on X, «Wildlife wonders! As frontline wildlife warriors managed to get closer to Jwala, they found she has given birth to four, not three, cubs.
This has increased our joy several times over. Congratulations all. We pray the cubs thrive and prosper at their home in India.»
According to officials, the cubs were born to Jwala on January 20.
This is Jwala's second litter and comes after a gap of 10 months.
Jwala (Namibian name Siyaya) had given birth to four cubs last March. Three of the cubs succumbed to extreme heat while the sole survivor is being raised under human care for future wilding.
Yadav had on January 3 also shared information about the birth of three cubs to Aasha.
The recent births have taken the number of cubs at the Kuno National Park to eight at present, with seven being born this month.
The total number of cheetahs at the Kuno National Park currently stands at 21 (six males, seven females and eight cubs).
This has been a mixed month for India's cheetah project. While January recorded the birth of seven cubs, it also witnessed the the death of Shaurya — an adult Namibian cheetah — on January 16.
Since last March, seven adult cheetahs, including Shaurya, have died due to various reasons.
