We were pleased to confirm a unique detail about this litter: all four cubs are female!
Over in just a few minutes, we placed the cubs back in the den and reunited them with their mother. All four cubs received a clean bill of health.
Now that we have health data on each cub, our animal care staff can rest a little easier. It’s a relief to know that all four cubs are free from any obvious health concerns, but it’s equally important for us to establish a medical baseline. By comparing this data with whatever we collect in the future, we can see if there are changes that might require our vet teams to step in.
Studying the blood samples will help, too — we look at vaccine titers to see what immunities the cubs have obtained from Amabala, and we check for health problems that would have a negative impact on their young lives.
With fewer than 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, each healthy cub helps us reach our goal of establishing a stable and sustainable population for this vulnerable species. But for now, we are so happy to know that all four cubs are healthy, and we are especially excited that we have four girls!
Don’t forget to watch the cubs on the Cheetah Cub Cam for even more cheetah cuteness.