GROWN-UP CHEETAHS? They're incredibly fast and sleek, and they'll move across your line of sight in an instant. But when a cheetah is still just a wee babe, not even two months old, you can expect there to be a bit more tumbling and rolly-polly-ness, the sort of cute antics you might see in your own kitten at home. And there is such a sweet cub now in the indoor nursery area at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The little girl isn't yet named, but she is being hand-raised, on the recommendation from Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan experts.
THE LITTLE ONE'S STORY? "The female cub was born April 29 to first-time mother Mary Jane, at the Safari Park’s Cheetah Breeding Center. Cheetahs that give birth to only one cub, called a singleton, generally cannot produce enough milk to keep the cub alive and will often abandon the cub." Keepers have been watching over the youngster, giving her fortifying bottles as well as room for exploration and play. At around three months old, she'll leave Safari Park and make a new home with the cheetahs of San Diego Zoo. More than that, she'll be appointed "an ambassador of her species," helping to educate visitors on conservation matters and more.
SAN DIEGO ZOO SAFARI PARK... reopens to the public on Saturday, June 20. The little cub isn't on view, but will be at San Diego Zoo in the weeks to come, so watch the zoo's social media pages for dates and announcements.
