Cheetah cubs begin to walk clumsily and cautiously after less than a month of life. They are still fully dependent on their mother’s milk. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Cheetah cubs were born at Prague Zoo. The quadruplets were born on June 18 and are still far from overcoming the critical period. Despite their inexperience, their mother is taking exemplary care of them, and she remains in the back enclosure with her offspring. If all goes well, visitors will see the rare additions in the second half of August. The cheetah is one of the most endangered felines today. There are only about 7,000 individuals left in the wild. Human breeding has also not been successful recently. Since 2020, the number of cheetahs in European zoos has decreased by a quarter. Each raised cub is therefore a success and a hope. Cheetah cubs are raised at Prague Zoo after eight years.
The little cheetahs are now starting to grow their incisors. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
“The mother of the cubs never ceases to surprise us. Years ago, she arrived from France in a weak physical and mental state, and at that time I was convinced that we would never see cubs from this female,” says mammal curator Pavel Brandl. However, the female’s condition has improved since spring 2023, thanks to the care in Prague. “Last year, she became pregnant for the first time and gave birth to a dead cub. But that also gave us hope that she is fertile and can get pregnant. She has now given birth to five viable kittens and is behaving maternally beyond expectations,” he adds.
The seven-year-old female chose an outdoor enclosure for giving birth. On the one hand, this brings the breeding process closer to nature, but on the other hand, it carries greater risks – for example, storms.
They cannot see after birth, but they can now observe their surroundings. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
It is thanks to the mother’s responsibility that all the cubs managed to overcome the heavy downpours at the turn of June and July. Drowning and subsequent pneumonia are also frequent causes of death for cheetahs in the wild, along with predation. Apparently, however, the cheetah dried her offspring by licking the water from their typically bushy fur with a dorsal mantle.
Prague Zoo will provide further information about the development of the cubs and the possibility of seeing or photographing them.