Cheetah raised by humans gives birth to 5 cubs at Kuno National Park

New Delhi: A female cheetah abandoned by its mother at birth and raised by forest officials at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, has given birth to 5 cubs. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh confirmed the news on his social media handle, 'X'. Officials confirmed that the cheetah named Mukhi has given birth to the cubs.

Mukhi is the only surviving cheetah among those born in India. The birth of the cubs has definitely given a boost to India's ambitious project of reintroducing cheetahs in the wild in the country.

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Mukhi was born on March 29,2023 to Namibian cheetah Jwala. She managed to survive against several odds, including climatic conditions, while 3 of her siblings perished due to the extreme summer heat in the country.

According to reports, the father of the 5-newborn cubs is also an Indian-origin cheetah.

Talking about the newborn cubs and Mukhi, CM Mohan Yadav said that both were doing well. He described it as an "unprecedented breakthrough for India’s cheetah reintroduction initiative." Mukhi is 33-months- old.

The CM wrote on 'X', "The successful reproduction of an India-born cheetah is a strong indicator of the species’ adaptation, health, and long-term prospects in Indian habitats. This significant step forward strengthens optimism about establishing a self-sustaining and genetically diverse cheetah population in India, further advancing the nation’s conservation goals."

He also shared a video of the cubs with their mother Mukhi.

Mukhi not only faced abandonment at birth but it also faced extreme heatwaves in India. It also suffered a serious injury to its right forelimb, said forest officials. The wound was treated and the animal had to undergo rehabilitation for 6 weeks.

Mukhi was found injured by a forest team and was immediately given treatment. Officials then resorted to hand-rearing the animal, taking extreme precautions.