India’s cheetah conservation efforts received a significant boost as a female cheetah, Gamini, and her four cubs are slated for release into the wild at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on Monday. This milestone is expected to enhance wildlife tourism in the region, drawing visitors eager to witness the big cats in their natural habitat.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the release on X late Sunday, stating that Gamini, originally from South Africa, along with her two male and two female cubs, will roam freely in the Khajuri tourism zone of KNP in Sheopur district. “The growing cheetah population will attract more tourists,” Yadav noted, emphasizing Madhya Pradesh’s commitment to advancing wildlife conservation and tourism.

Gamini gave birth to six cubs on March 10, 2024, though two later died. Post-release, KNP will host 17 cheetahs in the wild, with nine remaining in enclosures. This follows the release of Cheetah Jwala and her four cubs on February 21, 2025.

The cheetah translocation project, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2022, with eight cheetahs from Namibia, marked a historic intercontinental effort. Twelve more cheetahs arrived from South Africa in February 2023. Today, KNP is home to 26 cheetahs, including 14 cubs born in India.

This ambitious initiative underscores India’s dedication to reviving its cheetah population, extinct in the country since 1947, while bolstering conservation and tourism in Madhya Pradesh.