India’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme has reached a landmark milestone, with the country’s cheetah population surpassing 50 animals — a success story that places Namibia’s conservation legacy at the centre of one of the world’s most ambitious wildlife restoration projects.
The population at Kuno National Park has grown to 57 cheetahs following the birth of five cubs by Jwala, a Namibian cheetah who has now successfully produced her third litter on Indian soil. The latest birth marks the 10th successful cheetah litter since the species was reintroduced to India, bringing the total number of cubs born in the country to 37.
The milestone was highlighted by Rahul Shrivastava, High Commissioner of India to Namibia, who described the achievement as a testament to the strength of the India-Namibia conservation partnership and the adaptability of Namibian cheetahs in a new ecosystem.
“The witnessing of a translocated Namibian cheetah becoming a successful third-time mother in central India is the ultimate testament to the ecosystem’s viability,” Shrivastav said.
The historic initiative began in September 2022 when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first eight cheetahs from Namibia into Kuno National Park. The project marked the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore and represented a major collaboration between Namibia and India in restoring a species that had disappeared from India for more than seven decades.
Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952 after decades of hunting and habitat decline. Their return has therefore been positioned as more than a species recovery project, to restore grassland ecosystems, improving biodiversity and strengthening conservation-based livelihoods.
According to Shrivastava, the project draws inspiration from India’s successful tiger conservation efforts, which transformed the country from having fewer than 300 tigers in 1973 to nearly 4,000 today. He said the cheetah programme similarly demonstrates the importance of long-term planning, scientific management and adaptive conservation strategies.
Shrivastav said that despite criticism surrounding the project, officials argue that scientific evidence from Kuno demonstrates the cheetahs’ ability to adapt to their new environment. According to him, radio-collar data reportedly show that the animals are successfully using a variety of habitats, including savanna grasslands, mixed deciduous forests and riverine areas, while hunting native prey species such as chital, sambar, nilgai, chinkara and blackbuck.
Shrivastava said that the project’s soft-release approach has also been defended as an internationally recognised conservation practice rather than captivity.
He said that newly introduced cheetahs were initially kept in large natural enclosures known as soft-release bomas, allowing them to acclimatise while maintaining natural behaviours before entering the wider landscape.
Shrivastava said the approach allowed conservation teams to respond to challenges, including health risks associated with India’s humid climate. Lessons learned during the early stages of the programme resulted in improved management practices, including preventative veterinary treatments that contributed to improved survival outcomes.
According to him, the conservation partnership has also created socio-economic opportunities around Kuno. Hundreds of local residents have reportedly been employed as forest watchers and cheetah trackers, while others have received training for eco-tourism-related roles such as guides and hospitality workers.
Namibia’s contribution remains central to the programme’s success.
Shrivastava said that the country, recognised globally for its expertise in carnivore conservation, provided the founding cheetahs that established the new Indian population. Several Namibian-born females, including Asha and Siyaya, have produced multiple litters, contributing significantly to the future genetic strength of India’s cheetahs.
The offspring of Namibian cheetahs are now roaming freely in Kuno, hunting independently and adapting to the Indian wilderness — providing what conservationists describe as evidence of successful ecological integration.
Namibia’s “cheetah ambassadors” have become more than relocated animals; they represent a shared commitment to restoring biodiversity and demonstrating that cross-border conservation partnerships can reshape the future of threatened species, said Shrivastava.
