Cumberland, OH – The Wilds welcomed a litter of five cheetah cubs on August 25. The arrival of these cubs marks the second litter of cheetahs born at The Wilds this summer. Unfortunately, in the wake of these exciting births, The Wilds is also mourning the loss of a giraffe calf, who passed away in the pasture overnight.

The five cheetah cubs were born to mother, Azizi, and father, Finnick. Azizi was born in 2013 at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and later came to The Wilds in 2018 from the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas. Finnick is a 5-year-old cheetah who came to The Wilds from the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Fla. in 2012. Finnick has also been the father of two previous litters at The Wilds.

This is Azizi’s first litter, and The Wilds’ animal management team notes that she is taking great care of her young. Since Azizi is a first time mom, the animal management team is working diligently to ensure that any potential disturbance of the cubs and their mother in their den box is minimal and limited. As a result, the team is not yet sure of the sexes of the cubs. In the coming weeks, veterinary well checks will be conducted to determine the sexes of each of the cubs and to confirm that they are continuing to grow steadily.

Along with this exciting news, The Wilds team is unfortunately mourning the loss a nearly 2-month-old male giraffe calf. During the early morning hours of September 10, staff found that the calf had passed away in the pasture at The Wilds. A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be conducted today to hopefully determine the cause of death, but a complete pathology report can take several weeks. The calf was born in the pasture on July 10 to mother Lulu and had appeared to be doing well since his birth, even seen nursing well yesterday afternoon.

“We are all absolutely devastated by the loss of this calf—each animal in our care is important, but this little giraffe was extra special,” said The Wilds Vice President Dr. Jan Ramer. “We will continue to do all we can to provide all of the animals at The Wilds with the best possible care. Even in the midst of sorrow, we know that the work being done at The Wilds is tremendously important—we have contributed seven cheetah cubs to the dwindling global population of cheetahs in just the last two months alone, which is such important and commendable work in sustaining this vulnerable species.”

Although Azizi and her cubs will not be out of their behind-the-scenes area for a few months, guests may have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the litter in their den on a television monitor in the Carnivore Center at The Wilds.

The first litter of cheetahs this summer was born over the course of 34 hours on July 16 and July 18. The two cubs, both females, were born to mother, Wangari, and father, Brutus, and continue to be doing well in their behind-the-scenes den.

The births of all seven cubs was the result of breeding recommendations 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.

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.