Indian-born cheetah gives birth to 5 cubs at Kuno, seen as 'strong sign' of adaptation
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Sheopur (PTI): Indian-born cheetah Mukhi has given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Thursday, describing it as a "strong sign" of the viability and adaptation of the species that was reintroduced in the country three years ago.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the development and said it was an unprecedented breakthrough for Project Cheetah.
“A historic milestone has been achieved as Indian-born cheetah Mukhi has given birth to five cubs....The mother and cubs are doing well,” he said in a post on X.
Mukhi, the first Indian-born female cheetah, has now also become the first Indian-born cheetah to reproduce, he noted.
“The successful reproduction of an Indian-born cheetah is a strong indicator of the species’ adaptation, health, and long-term prospects in Indian habitats,” Yadav said, adding that it strengthens optimism about establishing a self-sustaining and genetically diverse population of the spotted cat in India.
Cheetahs were reintroduced in India on September 17, 2022, several decades after they became extinct in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had then released eight animals, five females and three males, brought from Namibia, marking the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the species.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav termed the birth of cubs at Kuno a "significant development" that shows "strong signs of adaptation, health, and long-term viability" of the cheetah in Indian habitats.
It "reinforces optimism about establishing a self-sustaining and genetically diverse cheetah population in India," he said in a statement, also noting that it was the first known instance in recent history of an Indian-born cheetah reproducing successfully.
The birth strengthens confidence in the country's conservation strategy, the minister added.
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Pak, Afghan forces trade fire along Chaman border: Report
Islamabad (PTI): A heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces was reported from the key Chaman border, according to a media report on Saturday.
Injuries were reported from the district hospital, but no fatalities occurred, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Officials from both sides accused each other of instigating the flare-up late on Friday night across the border in the Balochistan province.
While Pakistani officials said that Afghan forces had fired mortar shells on the Badani area, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed it was Pakistan that launched an attack on Spin Boldak, alleging that their forces were responding.
Pakistan's official sources told Dawn that Pakistani forces retaliated against the Afghan aggression and returned fire.
There were also reports of fighting on the Chaman-Kandahar highway, but these could not be immediately verified.
A senior official in Quetta confirmed on condition of anonymity that the exchange of fire started around 10 pm and continued until late at night.
The medical superintendent of Chaman district hospital said that three injured, including a woman, were brought to the medical facility.
There was neither any official word from the Inter-Services Public Relations -- Pakistan Army's media wing -- nor from the Foreign Office.
The Chaman border crossing, also known as Friendship Gate, connects Balochistan province to Afghanistan’s Kandahar.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated amidst regular allegations by Pakistan regarding the failure of the Afghan regime to deny safe havens to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists.
The two countries had agreed on a ceasefire following tensions last month, but the Foreign Office said last month that technically there was no truce as it was contingent on the Afghan Taliban stopping terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which they had failed to do.
