Orphan Cheetah Cub Finds New Family With Cubs at Cincinnati Zoo

A lone cheetah cub has found a new home thanks to the Cincinnati Zoo.

When a five-week-old cheetah cub was unable to receive care from his mother, the cub found himself looking for a new family. The small cheetah cub, originally from Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon, was born just 12 days before five cubs at the Cincinnati Zoo who also have an unusual set up. The cub from Oregon will now join the the cubs in Cincinnati to create a new and improved family.

The mother of the five cubs in Cincinnati died shortly after giving birth via a rare C-section. Most recently, the male runt of the litter died as well. However, the remaining four cubs are still being cared for by the zoo’s nursery with the help and support of their dog and caregiver, Blakely.

The cubs are still receiving critical care from the nursery in the zoo, so it will be a few weeks before the cub from Oregon can join the pack since he is a little bigger.

“Socialization and companionship, ideally with other cheetahs, is important at this age. Between Blakely (the nursery dog/nanny) and the other cubs, this guy will get plenty of attention and exercise,” shared Christina Gorsuch, curator of mammals at the Cincinnati Zoo. “He’s stronger and much larger than the other cubs. We will supervise initial visits and ease him into the mix.”

Right now the main concern is to keep the cubs healthy in order for them to make it to the one-month milestone. Zoo visitors right now can only see the cubs through the nursery window, with feeding and other examinations taking place in private.

The cubs are expected to become ambassadors for their species. Eventually, the cubs will be split up moving two of the males to another zoo and keeping the remaining cubs at the Cincinnati Zoo as part of the zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program.

“We’re excited to raise the next generation of sprinters!” said Linda Castaneda, lead trainer for the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program. “We’re not really concerned with breaking speed records at this point. We just want the cubs to grow and stay strong.”