CHEETAH CUB BRINGS IN THE CROWDS AT TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO

Dubbo’s Taronga Western Plains Zoo has a new star attraction, a Cheetah cub named Siri that is being hand-raised by keepers. Siri (meaning ‘secret’ in Swahili) was the only cub born on the 21st May 2015 to experienced mother Halla.

Cheetahs are usually born in litters of three to five cubs. When a single cub is born, the mother can often reject the cub as the chance of a single cub surviving in the wild is low. Zoo keepers intervened to give Siri the best chance of survival.

For the first six weeks keepers cared for Siri around the clock, developing a strong bond with the cub. At eight weeks of age, keepers and vets decided to introduce a companion puppy to help Siri develop her animal instincts and learn natural social interaction. A 7-week-old retriever cross mastiff puppy named Iris has been gradually introduced for short play sessions.