The cheetah population in India reached 53 after Namibian-born cheetah Jwala gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on March 9, 2026. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the milestone, marking continued progress in India's cheetah reintroduction programme launched in September 2022. This is Jwala's third successful litter and the tenth cheetah litter born on Indian soil since the reintroduction began. The number of India-born cheetah cubs has risen to 33, demonstrating the growing viability of the programme. Project Cheetah, the world's first intercontinental large-cat reintroduction project, initially brought eight cheetahs from Namibia in September 2022 and twelve from South Africa in February 2023. In February 2026, nine additional cheetahs were brought from Botswana. The programme operates under the National Tiger Conservation Authority with scientific oversight from the Wildlife Institute of India. Kuno National Park spans 748 square kilometres and was selected for its suitable prey base and grassland habitat. The growing population necessitates identification of additional release sites to prevent territorial conflicts among the expanding cheetah population.