Wildlife Safari Welcomes 174th Cheetah Born at the Park

Wildlife Safari recently welcomed the 174th cheetah born at the park through the internationally recognized cheetah breeding program. On May 3, 2014, first  time cheetah mom Moyo, stopped eating, which alerted cheetah keepers that a birth was eminent. Keepers attentively watched for signs via surveillance cameras. Staff became concerned for the well-being of the cub when mom ignored him, even refusing to clean off the birth sack. Newborns can only survive minutes without being removed from the sack and cleaned, so staff quickly stepped in to save the cub’s life. Staff removed the sack, cleaned the airway and stimulated the cub to take its first breath. With mom’s refusal to care for the newborn, it was rushed to an incubator inside Wildlife Safari’s animal hospital.

The newborn is doing well taking his bottle and gaining weight, and has already won the hearts of staff. “Given this rare opportunity to hand raise the cub, he will soon become an ambassador for his species at another AZA [Association of Zoos and Aquariums] accredited facility,” said Carnivore Supervisor Sarah Roy.  

Wildlife Safari is a 600 acre drive-thru game park located in Winston, Oregon. The park includes a 4-1/2 mile drive-thru section with hundreds of animals from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In addition, exclusive personal animal encounters can be booked. The Safari Village zoo and botanical gardens is open to the public at no charge. Wildlife Safari provides an exciting and unique adventure into the world of exotic and indigenous animals.

Contributed by Wildlife Safari.