Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday shared an article written by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, underscoring how India’s cheetah reintroduction programme reflects the country’s commitment to wildlife conservation. The Prime Minister said the steadily rising population of cheetahs in the country is “extremely encouraging.”
“”The growing cheetah population in the country is extremely encouraging. The birth of five cubs by an Indian-born female cheetah is a powerful testament to the fact that cheetahs have become fully established in the Indian environment. In this article, the Union Minister Bhupender Yadav explains how the cheetah relocation program demonstrates our commitment to wildlife conservation,” PM Modi said in response to Yadav’s post on X.
Marking International Cheetah Day, Yadav shared a link to his Hindi article. The article highlights the milestones achieved under Project Cheetah since its launch under the leadership of PM Modi.
In his piece, Yadav notes that Mukhi – the first cheetah born on Indian soil after the species went extinct in the country more than seven decades ago – has given birth to five healthy cubs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. He writes that this development reflects the success of scientific planning, habitat management and sustained conservation efforts.
Yadav’s article traces the cheetah’s historic presence across the Indian subcontinent, its extinction in 1952, and the ambitious attempt to restore the species through the world’s first intercontinental wild-to-wild translocation. In September 2022, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia to Kuno, followed by 12 more from South Africa in February 2023.
The minister emphasises that despite initial challenges related to climate, habitat suitability, prey availability and disease risks, survival rates have improved significantly. Between 2023 and 2025, adult cheetah survival rates rose from 70% in the first year to 85.7% in the second year, while cub survival stood at 66.7%. By the end of 2025, India’s cheetah population reached 32, including 21 cubs born in the country.
Describing cheetah as an important part of India’s natural and cultural heritage, Yadav asserts that Project Cheetah represents a commitment to restoring ecological balance, reviving lost biodiversity, and strengthening India’s role as a responsible global environmental steward.
