Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh), Feb 7 : In a major boost to Project Cheetah, Namibian female cheetah Aasha gave birth to five healthy cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradeshâ??s Sheopur district.

This marks the second time in two years that Aasha has littered cubs, underscoring the success of Indiaâ??s cheetah reintroduction programme.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav shared the development on the social media platform X, calling it a moment of pride for the state and the country.

â??With this birth, the number of Indian-born cubs rises to 24, and the total cheetah population reaches 35. This achievement reflects the tireless dedication of our forest staff and veterinarians. Madhya Pradesh is emerging as an epicentre of wildlife conservation,â?? he wrote.

Aasha was part of the first batch of cheetahs brought from Namibia in September 2022. Earlier, she had given birth to three cubs on January 3, 2024.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav also hailed the development, terming it a â??moment of immense pride and joy for Project Cheetah.â??

â??Aashaâ??s legacy leaps forward -- India welcomes her five adorable cubs,â?? he said in a post on X.

The minister added that the birth marks the eighth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil, describing it as a significant milestone in Indiaâ??s conservation journey.

He credited the achievement to the dedication and expertise of field staff and veterinarians working on the ground.

â??May Aasha and her cubs thrive and sprint Indiaâ??s cheetah story to even greater success. A truly historic and heart-warming moment for wildlife conservation,â?? he said.

The development comes just weeks ahead of the arrival of the third batch of cheetahs, with eight cheetahs from Botswana scheduled to reach Madhya Pradesh on February 28.

Under Project Cheetah, eight cheetahs from Namibia were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kuno on September 17, 2022, followed by the translocation of 12 cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.

/IANS