Three new Cheetah cubs were born on October 12 at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas! They are two females and one male. All appear to be in good health and first-time mom Gracie is proving to be a natural mother. 

The father is Bruce, an 8-year-old male born and hand-raised at Fossil Rim. This was his first litter of cubs and the center's animal care staff were pleasantly surprised by his ability to reproduce, as hand-raised male Cheetahs often fail to reproduce sucessfully. Bruce and his brother Moose were pulled from their mom for hand-raising due to illness at a young age.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is hosting a naming contest on their Facebook page to invite the public to help name the cubs. The contest closes tomorrow, December 4, on International Cheetah Day (a campaign created by the Cheetah Conservation Fund to raise awareness about this Vulnerable species). In addition to naming the Cheetahs, the winners will also receive a private tour of the wildlife center's Cheetah facility, which is not open to the public. 

Photo credit: Fossil Rim Widllife Center

See videos of the litter playing with mom: