Excitement is building at Palpur Kuno National Park as a female cheetah named Veera has been confirmed pregnant, marking a significant milestone for India’s cheetah reintroduction program. This ambitious project aims to restore the cheetah population to Indian soil after the species went extinct locally over 70 years ago. Veera, one of the cheetahs brought from Namibia in 2022, has adapted well to her new surroundings, and her pregnancy signals hope for the program’s success.Currently, Palpur Kuno is home to 12 adult cheetahs, including 5 males and 7 females, sourced from Namibia and South Africa. These cheetahs have been carefully monitored as they adjust to their new environment, and Veera’s pregnancy could lead to the first litter of cheetah cubs born in India in decades, a historic milestone.This development indicates that the cheetahs are thriving in their new habitat, which bodes well for the program’s long-term goal of establishing a self-sustaining cheetah population in India. The team at Palpur Kuno has been closely monitoring Veera to ensure her safety and the well-being of her developing cubs. If successful, her cubs will be the first born in the wild in India since the species’ extinction.The reintroduction project has garnered global attention, as it represents a significant step in reviving India’s biodiversity. With each success, Palpur Kuno moves closer to re-establishing the cheetah as a keystone species in the country’s ecosystem. Veera’s pregnancy offers a glimpse into a future where cheetahs once again roam freely in India, signifying hope, growth, and the recovery of a lost species.
