India-born cheetah KGP11 dies at Kuno National Park after 5 days of treatment
Synopsis
KGP11, one of the first cheetahs born in India under Project Cheetah, has died at Kuno National Park — just weeks after four cubs born to another India-born cheetah were also found dead. With the total count now at 52, the programme faces a critical stress test on whether India-born cheetahs can survive and breed in the wild.
Key Takeaways
KGP11 , a 27-month-old India-born female cheetah, died during treatment at Kuno National Park on 7 June 2025 .
She had been found injured in Morena district on 1 June and treated for five days ; preliminary findings indicated internal haemorrhaging .
A post-mortem examination was scheduled for 7 June to determine the exact cause of death, according to KNP director Uttam Sharma .
Her death follows the loss of four cubs born to India-born cheetah KGP12 last month — the first wild-born litter of the programme.
Kuno's cheetah count has fallen to 49 ( 32 India-born ); India's total stands at 52 , including three at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary .
Project Cheetah began in September 2022 with translocations from Namibia and South Africa , ending a 70-year extinction in India.
KGP11, a 27-month-old India-born female cheetah, died during treatment at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, 7 June 2025, after being found critically injured in the Pahadgarh area of Morena district on 1 June. The death is the latest setback for India's flagship Project Cheetah reintroduction programme, which has seen both historic milestones and mounting losses in recent weeks.
How KGP11 Was Found and Treated
Forest officials discovered KGP11 in distress in the Pahadgarh area of Morena district on 1 June and immediately transferred her to the Palpur veterinary facility inside Kuno National Park. She remained under intensive medical care for five days, with veterinarians and wildlife experts making sustained efforts to stabilise her condition.
Preliminary findings pointed to internal haemorrhaging, and officials were also examining the possibility that her injuries were sustained during a conflict with another wild animal. Her condition, however, failed to improve despite the round-the-clock intervention.
What the Park Director Said
Kuno National Park (KNP) director Uttam Sharma confirmed the death, stating: 'Despite all efforts by the veterinary and field teams, it succumbed to injuries this evening. A post-mortem examination would be conducted on 7 June to determine the exact cause of death.' Sharma added that the post-mortem would help authorities establish a definitive cause.
KGP11's Place in Project Cheetah
KGP11 was among the first generation of cheetahs born on Indian soil after the launch of Project Cheetah. She had been released into the wild in March 2025 and had been roaming freely across the Kuno landscape for more than a year before she was found injured. Her birth had been celebrated as proof that the reintroduction programme could sustain itself through natural breeding.
Her death comes barely weeks after another blow to the programme: four cubs born to India-born female cheetah KGP12 were found dead near their den site last month, just weeks after their birth was hailed as the first successful wild breeding by an India-born cheetah.
Current Cheetah Population in India
Following KGP11's death, the cheetah count at Kuno National Park has fallen to 49, comprising 32 India-born animals. Of these, 19 are currently roaming free in the wild, while the rest are housed in enclosures and monitored zones. Officials stated that all remaining cheetahs are healthy and under continuous surveillance.
With three cheetahs housed at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, India's total cheetah population now stands at 52. The reintroduction programme was launched in September 2022 with the translocation of African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa, marking the species' return to India more than seven decades after it went extinct here.
What Happens Next
The post-mortem results, expected after 7 June, will be closely watched by conservationists and wildlife authorities for clues about whether the injury was the result of inter-animal conflict, a territorial dispute, or another cause. The findings could shape how park managers handle the phased release of cheetahs into the wild going forward.
Point of View
Coming weeks after the loss of KGP12's four cubs, raises an uncomfortable question the programme's managers cannot defer: are India-born cheetahs being released into the wild before the landscape is adequately secured against inter-animal conflict? The preliminary indication of internal haemorrhaging — possibly from a fight with another wild animal — points to a gap between controlled-enclosure success and true wilderness readiness. Project Cheetah's headline numbers look promising at 52 animals, but the programme's credibility will ultimately rest on survival rates of India-born cheetahs in the wild, not on translocation tallies. Without transparent post-mortem findings and a publicly shared protocol review, each successive death risks eroding the scientific and public confidence the programme has carefully built since 2022.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did KGP11 die at Kuno National Park?
KGP11 was found in distress in the Pahadgarh area of Morena district on 1 June and was transferred to the Palpur veterinary facility at Kuno National Park, where she was treated for five days. Preliminary reports indicated internal haemorrhaging, and officials were also examining the possibility of injuries from a conflict with another wild animal. A post-mortem was scheduled for 7 June to confirm the exact cause.
What is Project Cheetah and when did it begin?
Project Cheetah is India's cheetah reintroduction programme, launched in September 2022 with the translocation of African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa. It marks the return of the species to India more than seven decades after cheetahs went extinct in the country.
How many cheetahs are left in India after KGP11's death?
Following KGP11's death, Kuno National Park's count has dropped to 49 cheetahs, including 32 India-born animals, of which 19 are roaming free in the wild. With three additional cheetahs at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, India's total cheetah population now stands at 52.
Who is KGP12 and why is her cubs' death significant?
KGP12 is an India-born female cheetah whose four cubs — celebrated as the first litter successfully born in the wild by an India-born cheetah — were found dead near their den site last month. The back-to-back losses of KGP12's cubs and now KGP11 represent a significant setback for the programme's wild-breeding ambitions.
What happens after the post-mortem of KGP11?
A post-mortem examination was scheduled for 7 June 2025 to determine the precise cause of KGP11's death. The findings are expected to guide park managers on protocols for releasing cheetahs into the wild and managing inter-animal conflict within the Kuno landscape.
