CINCINNATI, Ohio. (WSVN) — An adopted cheetah cub was welcomed to its new home at the Cincinnati Zoo, joining a litter of two cubs born earlier this month.
The male cub, arriving from Oregon on Monday, June 17, was placed in an incubator to stabilize before being introduced to the other cubs the following day. The mother cheetah, Etosha, has since exhibited healthy maternal behaviors towards all three cubs.
“We coordinate with the other cheetah breeding centers, so litters are born semi close together so that if cross fostering situations arise the cubs are as close to the same age as possible,” said Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Cheetah Breeding Center head keeper Tom Tenhundfeld. “We have successfully introduced cubs at our facility before, including the most genetically valuable cub in the North American population, and everything is going well with this intro.”
The decision to add the Oregon cub to Etosha’s litter was made because a singleton cub does not provide enough stimulation to produce lactation. Nursing has been observed and Etosha is being attentive to all three cubs, ensuing their well-being.
As a thank you for transporting the cub, Lighthawk Conservation Flying has been given the opportunity to name the cub. The zoo will post updates about the cubs, including their names, on its social channels.
The Cincinnati Zoo is one of 10 institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that participate in the Breeding Center Coalition, working closely with the AZA’s Cheetah Species Survival Plan to create a sustainable cheetah population and prevent the extinction of this endangered species.
Cheetahs are endangered, with their population shrinking from about 100,000 in 1900 to an estimated 7,000 today. The Cincinnati Zoo has long supported cheetah conservation efforts across Africa, including projects promoting farmer-predator coexistence to protect free-roaming cheetahs.
While the cubs are not yet visible to the public, visitors can see cheetahs during regular hours at the zoo.
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