The cubs were the first litter from father, Kebeni, and mother, Halla, heralding not only a great breeding achievement but also creating a new genetic bloodline for the Zoo’s Cheetahs.
Halla was born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in 2009 with the rare King Cheetah coat pattern. Kebeni only arrived at Dubbo in 2012 from New Zealand for breeding.
“Halla has been a fabulous mum from the outset, after the birth she was quick to clean the cubs and settle down to feed them,” said Keeper Addy Watson.
“We have been monitoring Halla and her cubs via a video camera set up in their den and the cubs all appear to be quite large and strong.”
“At just over two-weeks old, the cubs are now starting to move around the den a little more and are learning to walk, all under Halla’s watchful eye.”
“We have been giving Halla and her cubs plenty of space and keeping her environment quiet so she can concentrate on caring for them,” said Addy.
Cheetah are notoriously hard to breed and this achievement is a testament to the hard work the keepers have been putting in over the past months.
Keepers will continue to monitor and make sure the cubs are growing and developing well via the video camera link. The first contact with the cubs will be in early 2014 to vaccinate them and enable the Zoo’s vet to check each animal’s health. It will then be a further couple of months before the cubs are on exhibit for visitors to see.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo is located in Dubbo in Central Western NSW and is open every day.
For more information about the Zoo, contact (02) 6881 1400 or visit www.taronga.org.au
No comments:
Post a Comment