India marks cheetah comeback with 32 cheetahs, including 21 born in country, as conservation efforts expand.

On International Cheetah Day, December 4, 2025, India celebrated milestones in its cheetah reintroduction project, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting a thriving population of 32 cheetahs, including 21 born in India, and the birth of five cubs to an India-born female, Mukhi, in November 2025. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released female cheetah Veera and her two cubs into Kuno National Park’s Parond Forest, a monitored tourism zone, as part of ongoing efforts to restore the species after its extinction in 1952. The initiative, launched in 2022, brought 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa, and now includes new conservation tools like a field manual, a 2026 park calendar, and a souvenir shop to support ecotourism and awareness.