Two Cheetah Litters Born at National Zoo

The National Zoo welcomed two litters of cheetah cubs in March at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. Five cheetahs were born on March 23, and another seven cubs were born on March 28.

Two of the cubs in the second litter were smaller and less active at the time of birth and died, which is common among litters that large, the zoo said. The typical size of a cheetah litter is three, according to the zoo.

The two mothers are attentive to the surviving 10 cubs, which have been nursing. Each litter has two males and three females.

The cubs were born as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Cheetah Species Survival Plan, which matches cheetahs across the population for breeding. Miti and Happy, the two cheetah moms, bred in December and were matched with male cats that fit their temperaments and ensure genetic diversity.

The two litters also represent the second generation of cheetahs at the institute. Since breeding started in 2010, 46 cubs have been born.

The cubs will have their first veterinary exam when they are about six weeks old. For now, staff is monitoring the families via closed-circuit television in the nest boxes. Credit: National Zoo via Storyful