When a single Cheetah cub was born at Monarto Safari Park late in the night on Sunday 5 March, keepers were delighted but concerned.
This was just the beginning of a very spotty ‘tail’ that ended in an Australasian first for Zoos SA.
The female cub was born to seven-year-old Quella, but when particular big cat species like Cheetah give birth to one cub, called a singleton, they cannot produce enough milk to sustain their newborn.
“Little spots and little purrs… mother nature has blessed us this Christmas!
During the month of October, Sansa, our 5-year-old cheetah, gave birth to 5 perfect little bundles of fur at our facility’s private reserve which forms part of our Cheetah Preservation Foundation non-profit organisation.
We have many reasons to celebrate their birth, with their lineage being paramount. Not only do the cubs contribute to helping the world better understand their species, but their strong and genetically diverse bloodlines make a valuable contribution to the ex-situ population management of the species. Since the inception of the Cheetah Preservation Foundation, our cheetahs have contributed significant data to the global pool of healthy cheetah management practices, research, and education. Due to the growing success of the species global management, and the valuable research conducted, the current population in human care is at its most balanced and genetically diverse in history. Our role, based on our many years of expertise, along with other like-minded facilities, is to ensure that this populace is strategically maintained. At this point, the genetic variability between any two captive cheetahs and any two wild cheetahs are in fact very similar! This is a massive accomplishment, made possible by the many years of hard work by dedicated programs such as ours. Should there ever be collapse in wild populations, almost certainly due to human/wildlife conflict, captive centres will be able to bolster wild populations to secure the species for future generations.
Classified as vulnerable, with an estimated wild population dwindling below 7100, this species is running a gruelling race for survival due to the pressures of climate change, hunting/poaching, and habitat destruction. Cheetahs have a low reproductive success rate, and with fewer offspring, the population can neither grow nor adapt to the volatile changes occurring in their human encroached wild environments."
Omaha, Neb. (Dec. 6, 2022) – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium proudly announces the birth of four Cheetah cubs on November 4. 2022. The four cubs were born to mother Clio and father Refu at the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park.
“These cubs are a great example of the collaboration benefits among zoos,” said Dr. Jason Herrick, Vice President of Conservation and Animal Health for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. “Not long ago, cheetahs were considered one of the more difficult species to breed in zoos. Over the last couple of decades, the members of the National Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, including our Wildlife Safari Park, have worked together to really figure out how to breed cheetahs.”
On August 12th, Gdansk Zoo’s female cheetah, Vega, gave birth to 5 healthy kittens. This is an extraordinary event, because it is the first birth of this species at the zoo and the second this year among European zoos. The breeding of cheetahs in zoos is very difficult and requires both a large area of enclosure, as well as the experience of zookeepers. This year, after the second attempt, Gdansk succeeded, and after 90 days of gestation, they had new individuals of this endangered species. When they are grown enough to be fully vaccinated, they will be on view to guests along with their mother.
Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, welcomed a litter of two cheetah cubs. First-time mother, 4-year-old female Amani, birthed the cubs Oct. 3 around 9:17 p.m. and 11:05 p.m. ET. This is also the first litter sired by 7-year-old father Asante. As the first offspring of both parents, the cubs are genetically valuable. They appear to be strong, active, vocalizing and nursing well. Animal care staff are closely monitoring Amani and her cubs’ behaviors via the Cheetah Cub Cam on the Zoo’s website. Virtual visitors can also observe Amani and her cubs on this temporary platform until the cubs leave the dens.
TORONTO, ON, Friday, May 27, 2022: Your Toronto Zoo is excited to reveal the names of our #FlamingHotCheetahs! With almost 10,000 votes cast, it was a relatively close race, but the winning group was Toulouse, Berlioz and Marie – named after the kittens in Disney’s Aristocats animated film! A big thank you to everyone who participated! We love including the community in special moments at your Toronto Zoo.
A group of extremely passionate people comprise Fossil Rim’s veterinary staff. The situation might not always turn out like one would hope but that doesn't make it any less important to try. We are thankful for our veterinarians, vet tech, vet fellow, vet tech interns, and preceptors that protect the Fossil Rim conservation center.
This adorable footage was posted by the Toronto Zoo about 3 weeks ago, when the cubs (first appearing on ZooBorns in January: https://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2022/01/your-toronto-zoo-welcomes-birth-of-cheetah-cubs.html ) were still too small to reliably sex. Until they are fully vaccinated and the weather warms up, the new family will remain cozy in their indoor habitat. As they grow and get stronger, they will gradually be introduced to their behind-the-scenes outdoor habitats, and eventually to the main cheetah habitat where you will be able to see them later this spring.
Since the time of this video, The cheetah cubs have received their first full examination from the Veterinary team! We are excited to announce that they have two boys and one girl!
TORONTO, ON, Friday, January 28, 2022: Your Toronto Zoo is excited to announce the arrival of three beautiful cheetah cubs born Monday January 24! Emarah, a 4.5-year-old female cheetah and first-time mom, gave birth in the early hours of the morning after a 92-day pregnancy.
In preparation for cubs, the Wildlife Care team set up a maternity den for Emarah, selecting a quiet space in the cheetah house and furnishing it with a large nestbox lined with a thick layer of bedding. Emarah began exhibiting signs of labour on Sunday, including restlessness and lack of appetite. The team monitored the labour using video cameras in her habitat to ensure her privacy. She gave birth to her first cub just after 3:30 am, followed by a further three cubs over the next few hours. Unfortunately, one of the cubs did not survive, but the remaining cubs appear to be doing well and have been observed nursing and wriggling around close to their mother. When cheetah cubs are born, their eyes are closed, and it will be about a week before they begin to open them to have a look around. During this time we minimize disturbances to give mother and cubs time to bond. The cameras allow the team to monitor Emarah and her new family as she navigates her maternal duties for the first time, and we are pleased to say she is doing very well – a real natural mom! She has been very attentive and has been seen grooming and nursing the cubs, both of which of which are excellent signs for a first-time mother. She also has been comfortable enough to start leaving the den to feed and to stretch her legs.
Unless there is cause for concern, it will be a few weeks before the vets will do their first full quick check on the cubs. Until they are fully vaccinated and the weather warms up, the new family will remain cozy in their indoor habitat; once they are several months old, we will introduce them to the outdoor habitats, including the main cheetah exhibit where guests will be able to visit them.
Emarah was part of the last cheetah litter born at the Toronto Zoo. While her brothers and sister have moved to other accredited zoos as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Emarah remained in Toronto . Emarah and her new family are important as her genes are not widespread in Cheetah populations in accredited Zoos. The SSP makes recommendations to best manage the cheetahs in our care. These cubs represent that next step in terms of preserving these important genes to ensure they are protected for the future.
In addition to conservation research, the Toronto Zoo team supports cheetahs in the wild through partnerships with the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Cheetah populations in the wild are declining rapidly, with estimates putting the world population at somewhere around 7000. The primary threats to cheetahs in the wild are the poaching of cheetah cubs to meet demand for illegal pets and human wildlife conflict. You can support Emarah and other threatened cheetahs in the wild by making a donation to the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy, or through the Adopt an Animal program.
If you tune into the National Zoo's Cheetah Cub Cam, you might see one or two cubs playing in the den. The cubs are starting to play independently. When cheetah biologist, Adrienne Crosier, tuned into the cam in mid-January, she witnessed this female cub rolling around and having a ball in the den all on her own.