India-Born Cheetah KJP21 Gives Birth to 5 Cubs at Kuno National Park

There is wonderful news from Kuno National Park: KJP21, an India-born female cheetah, has given birth to five healthy cubs. The cubs were born on Sunday, 5 October 2026, just days after Kuno opened for the new safari season.

A first for India's cheetahs

The father of the litter is a cheetah from Botswana, so these five cubs start a brand-new Botswana bloodline in India. A new genetic line is important for the long-term health of the cheetah population.

KJP21, who is about 32 months old, is only the third India-born female cheetah to become a mother — after Mukhi and KGP12. Every litter from a cheetah born on Indian soil shows that the animals are settling into their new home.

India now has 60 cheetahs

With the new arrivals, India's cheetah population has reached 60, and 41 of them were born in India. The news was shared by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who called it another proud milestone for Project Cheetah.

Planning a Kuno safari?

Kuno National Park is open for safaris from 1 October to 30 June. Safaris run every day at 6:00 AM and 3:00 PM in an open Gypsy, last about 3 hours and cover 30–35 km of the park. Sightings of wild animals are never guaranteed, but there has never been a more exciting time to visit Kuno.

See our Kuno safari packages & prices or read the complete Kuno safari booking guide. To book, call or WhatsApp us on +91 98268 44012.

First look at the cubs

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared the first photos of KJP21's five cubs on X:

Sources: ThePrint, Business Today, ANI, NDTV, The Indian Express. Cubs photo: post by @byadavbjp on X. Cover photo: representative image of a cheetah (public domain).