Cheetah cubs make their debut

Cheetah cubs make their debut

Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s three Cheetah cubs have made their debut on exhibit to the delight of visitors.   The three cubs were born to mother, Halla and father, Kebeni on 25 October 2013. The two male cubs, named Jamala and Duma, and the female cub, Leela, have been growing and developing in leaps and bounds.“The cubs are still getting to know their new home as they have been at the Zoo’s Cheetah breeding complex to date, so now they have a whole new area to explore,” said Keeper Annemarie Hillerman.“They were very tentative about the exhibit area at first, but with the guidance of Halla they felt a little more at ease and just followed her lead.”Over the past five months the cubs have been staying close by their mother’s side, learning the necessary natural behaviours to grow and develop into an adult Cheetah.“Now five months old, the cubs are really playful with one another and are often observed wrestling and climbing over different objects,” said Annemarie.The birth of the three cubs represents not only another great breeding achievement for Taronga Western Plains Zoo, it has also created a new genetic bloodline for the Zoo’s Cheetahs.“Cheetahs are notoriously hard to breed and this achievement is a testament to the hard work the keepers have been putting in over the past 12 months,” said Annemarie.Cheetahs are classified as vulnerable, so every birth is extremely valuable to the global population given the low numbers in the wild.