New Cheetah Cubs At Africa Alive

Keepers at Africa Alive have welcomed the birth of four cheetah cubs.

They were born on the 7th of August to parents Etna and Joshi.

Until very recently the animals were held in the park's 'off public show' breeding facility so that mum 'Etna' and the cubs had the privacy they required for a successful rearing. This week the family have been allowed access to an adjacent area allowing visitors to get a glimpse of the cubs, one male and three females.

The successive and successful births are the result of many years of work with the Cheetahs including the construction of a suitable breeding facility and identifying compatible animals for breeding. The cub's mother 'Etna' was born at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic and 'Joshi' the farther was born at Marwell Zoo. All the animals are held as part of a European breeding programme involving around 80 zoos.

As part of the breeding programme, the female cheetah has to be from the male as much as possible to simulate what occurs in the wild as Cheetahs tend to live solitary lives. 'Etna' was moved to Banham Zoo to meet 'Joshi' and this is where the cubs were conceived.  She then returned to Africa Alive where the cubs were born.

Cheetah Cubs At Africa Alive