A second-time mom at Kuno: Aasha gives birth to 5 cubs

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3 min readBhopalFeb 7, 2026 07:51 PM IST

Aasha is among the founding group of cheetahs translocated from Namibia when India launched Project Cheetah in September 2022. (X/@byadavbjp)

Aasha, a cheetah brought from Namibia under India’s ambitious reintroduction programme, delivered five cubs at Kuno National Park on Friday, becoming a second-time mother and taking the country’s total cheetah population to 35, officials said.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav made the announcement, calling it a milestone for India’s cheetah recovery effort. He said the litter, born on February 7, marks the eighth successful cheetah litter in the country since the launch of the reintroduction programme, and raises the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 24.

Officials associated with the project said both the mother and the cubs are under “round-the-clock observation through remote surveillance and field monitoring”, and “no human intervention is being undertaken unless medically required, in line with established protocols”.

Kuno Welcomes the Birth of FIVE Cubs 🐆✨

Aasha’s legacy leaps forward—India welcomes her five adorable cubs!

A moment of immense pride and joy for Project Cheetah as Aasha, the Namibian cheetah and a proud second-time mother, gave birth to five cubs on 7th February 2026 at… pic.twitter.com/vTXFkZJoso

— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) February 7, 2026

Aasha is among the founding group of cheetahs translocated from Namibia when India launched Project Cheetah in September 2022. It was released into Kuno after a period of quarantine and acclimatisation and quickly emerged as one of the more stable and reproductively successful females in the population.

Asha had delivered the first litter of three cubs on January 1, 2024. Those cubs are now two years old, old enough to hunt with their mother and survive on their own. Aasha and its cubs had spent over a year in captivity and were released into the wild in February 2025.

Officials said that “while the growing number of cubs has improved overall population figures,” the project’s long-term success will “depend on how many of these young cheetahs survive into adulthood, establish territories and breed in open forest conditions”.

Senior officers said Aasha’s ability to “successfully raise cubs twice within a relatively short span” is a sign that the animals have adapted to Indian conditions. “Its cubs have also managed to survive in the wild for long, which is a positive step. We feel the population of the cheetahs will soon take off in Kuno,” said an official.

India began its cheetah reintroduction project on September 17, 2022, when eight cheetahs from Namibia were released at Kuno by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Twelve more arrived from South Africa the following year.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said earlier this week that eight more cheetahs are scheduled to arrive from Botswana later this month, as part of the next phase of population augmentation. He said the state government has held detailed discussions with the Union environment ministry on logistics, veterinary preparedness, tourism planning and expansion of reserve forest areas linked to the programme.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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