Sheopur (MP) | An India-born female cheetah has given birth to four cubs in the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Friday, a day after the cheetah reintroduction programme completed four years.

"A truly historic and joyous moment for Project Cheetah! A day after India's Cheetah Project completed four years, KGP12, an Indian-born female cheetah, has given birth to four cubs in Kuno," the minister said in a post on X.

Yadav noted the birth of cubs reflects the growing success of cheetah conservation in India, where the world's fastest land animal was officially declared extinct in 1952.

"Four years, four new lives, a beautiful symbol of hope, resilience and the growing success of cheetah conservation in India. Heartiest congratulations to the entire Kuno and Project Cheetah family," said the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

On September 17, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released eight wild cheetahs brought from Namibia into special enclosures at the park in Sheopur district, marking the beginning of the animal's reintroduction programme.