Wildlife Safari in Winston welcomes two new cheetah cubs
Published 9:30 am Saturday, November 9, 2024
- Zuri the cheetah gave birth to two male cubs on Sept. 24 at Wildlife Safari in Winston, officials report.
Welcome to the world, boys.
Zuri the cheetah gave birth to two male cubs on Sept. 24 at Wildlife Safari, officials report.
A press release from the safari said this is Zuri’s first time raising a litter independently, “a milestone that highlights her attentive and nurturing approach to motherhood.”
She had two single cubs in separate pregnancies before these twins, but cheetahs are incapable of raising a singular cub because one cub will not provide enough suckling to keep up the milk supply. Human intervention is required.
This litter enables Zuri to feel her mothering instincts and the safari has seen her dedication to her cubs’ wellbeing, the press release said.
“It has been incredibly rewarding for our team to watch Zuri raise her cubs for the first time,” Rachel Linden, carnivore lead at Wildlife Safari, said in the press release. “With her previous cubs she was very attentive and behaviorally showed everything we would want to see from a new mom, but it was only a matter of time before she dried up and wasn’t able to support them, so it’s really exciting to see it come full circle for her. The cubs recently started coming outside for short periods of time and are growing quickly so we expect to see them spending even longer outside for guests to see soon, with Zuri keeping a close watch of course!”
According to the press release, Zuri is the most genetically valuable female cheetah in the species survival plan population in North America. This plan is a cooperative breeding program among accredited zoos and wildlife institutions to ensure the genetic diversity and long-term sustainability of endangered species.
According to Wildlife Safari’s website, the organization is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and having a species survival plan is a part of the membership. The plan must cooperatively manage the breeding and care of threatened or endangered species populations.
The press release said this birth contributes to cheetah conservation efforts as the cubs represent important genetic lineage.
“Wildlife Safari is dedicated to advancing the care, study and preservation of cheetahs, and Zuri’s cubs signify an inspiring success for cheetah conservation efforts,” the press release said.
Guests will soon be able to see Zuri and her cubs in their habitat at the safari.