Cumberland, OH – The Wilds’ cheetah family has grown by two with the birth of two cubs. The cubs were born over the course of 34 hours on July 16 and July 18.
The two cubs, one male and one female, were born to mother, Wangari, and father, Brutus. Wangari, is an 8-year-old cheetah who came to The Wilds from the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas in 2015. Brutus is 5 years old and came to The Wilds in 2014 from White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Fla. The cubs are all doing well at this time. Results of the cubs’ first veterinary well checks show that they appear to be healthy and growing stronger.
This litter is Wangari’s third litter of cubs. Her only surviving cub from her first litter in 2016, Emmett, currently resides at the Columbus Zoo. The birth was the result of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Cheetah Sustainability Program—part of a Species Survival Plan® (SSP)—a program coordinated by AZA and Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2) to manage a sustainable population of cheetahs, whose numbers are declining in their native range. The Wilds is one of nine cheetah breeding centers created through this initiative to ensure a sustainable cheetah population in human care.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), cheetahs are considered vulnerable in their native ranges in Africa. Due to threats including habitat loss and fragmentation, conflict with livestock and game farmers and unregulated tourism, cheetahs now inhabit just 10 percent of their historic range in Africa and are almost completely extirpated from their historic range in Asia.
“We are thrilled to be active participants in helping to sustain populations of cheetahs through the addition of these two newborn cubs,” said The Wilds Vice President Dr. Jan Ramer. “As one of just nine designated cheetah breeding centers in the country, we are extremely proud of the tremendous investment in time and funds that The Wilds contributes to support cheetah conservation.”
Wangari and her cubs are still in a behind-the-scenes area and will remain there for a few months until the cubs are ready to move to a larger habitat that is also visible to Wilds guests.
For more information about conservation initiatives at The Wilds and to book a tour, please visit The Wilds’ website.
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About The Wilds
The Wilds, one of the largest conservation centers in North America, is home to rare and endangered animals from around the world along with hundreds of indigenous species. The mission of The Wilds, a nonprofit organization managed by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, is to lead and inspire by connecting people and wildlife. The Wilds is located at 14000 International Road in Cumberland, Ohio, about 90 minutes east of Columbus. Normal hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day from May through September, and on Saturdays and Sundays in October. For more information, visit TheWilds.org.
