A  pair of inquisitive cheetah cubs take their first steps into public view  - in a moment of hope for the vulnerable species.

The adorable three-month-old cubs, born to mum Darcy at the award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park, represent a major advance for the conservation of cheetahs whose numbers have fallen to around 7,000 in the wild.

Hilvarenbeek, February 16, 2024 - A cheetah in Beekse Bergen gave birth to her first litter on the morning of February 11th. The mother and two cubs are doing well.

Head animal caretaker Christian Meurrens says: "The cheetah female Daria came from France to the Safaripark at the end of October as part of the management program. Just under four months after arrival, there are already cubs! And considering that the gestation period is about three months. A great addition!"

Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, are celebrating a litter of five cheetah cubs born to 8-year-old adult female Echo Tuesday, Sept. 12. Viewers can enjoy watching the cubs grow via the Cheetah Cub Cam. Note that Echo may move her cubs out of the den and around her habitat so they may be out of view at times.

Animal care staff will leave Echo to bond with and care for her cubs without interference, but as opportunities arise, staff will perform quick health checks. During a recent weight check, staff confirmed there are three males and two females. The cubs appear to be strong, active, vocal and eating well.

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.

From Cango Wildlife Ranch Officals:

“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."

Sound up for some chirp-tastic cheetah content!

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 12^th, 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.