Watch Five Adorable Newborn Cheetah Cubs Grow on a Livestream From the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute.
Five healthy cheetah cubs were born October 5 at the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, and a live den camera lets viewers watch them with their mother, Zura.
The Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, announced the birth of five cheetah cubs on October 5. According to Smithsonian magazine, the cubs are healthy and active, and they began climbing on their mother on their first day.
The mother, Zura, is 5 years old and is raising her first litter. She is described as an incredibly calm and attentive parent. Zura left the den to eat for the first time since the birth around the time of the report, then returned to the cubs. Adrienne Crosier, a cheetah biologist and curator of carnivores at the institute, called that behavior normal. "Because there’s five of them, somebody’s usually nursing," she said.
Care staff are staying hands-off for now so the family can bond, but they are watching the cheetah cub cam, which shows the inside of the den. The stream is also open to viewers around the world, which matters because the Front Royal facility is closed to the public.
Cheetah cubs are born with their eyes closed and ears shut. Their eyes usually open after about four to seven days, and their ears stand up days after that. The cubs should gain about 50 grams a day. After three or four weeks, they are expected to start gathering at the den door when their mother leaves, and Crosier said they will want to start following her outside. Staff will later weigh each cub and mark its fur with a small shave mark. At six weeks, the cubs will get a first vet exam, vaccinations and transponders for identification.
Zura was born at the institute in 2021, and her mother and grandmother also live there, so the new litter makes four generations in the biologists' care. The father, 9-year-old Flash, has sired seven cubs in earlier litters. The institute said cheetah fathers do not help raise their young.
The institute breeds cheetahs under the Cheetah Species Survival Plan, run by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Ten facilities in the United States use DNA, temperament, health and other factors to choose breeding pairs. Flash is considered genetically valuable to the program. These cubs bring the institute's total to 90 cheetah births across 21 litters.
At a Glance
- Five cheetah cubs were born October 5 to Zura and Flash at the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.
- The institute has now recorded 90 cheetah births across 21 litters.
- Ten U.S. facilities take part in the Cheetah Species Survival Plan, which picks breeding pairs based on DNA, temperament and health.
- Cubs are expected to gain about 50 grams daily and have a first vet exam at six weeks.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.