Cango Wildlife Ranch is thrilled and proud to announce the birth of yet another litter of cheetah cubs.
Two male and two female cheetah cubs were born to parents Fern and Bongo on July 15th at Cango Wildlife Ranch’s breeding center in Oudtshoorn. The two females were named Minnie and Mia and the two males are Murdoch and Mickey.
The next few weeks will be hard work and long hours for the Ranch’s animal care givers as these young cubs are being hand-raised and will become part of the Ranches’ Natural Encounters Experiences.
‘Our visitors will be able to meet and interact with these little ambassadors from early September “, said Amanda van der Merwe, the Ranch marketing manager.
Although Cheetah births in captivity are rare, Cango Wildlife Ranch has had a very successful breeding programme and more than 250 cubs have been born at this breeding centre over the years.
There are normally 3 to 4 cubs born to an adult female per litter after a gestation period of 3 months although litter sizes of 5 have been achieved at Cango Wildlife Ranch.
Newborn cheetah cubs are very vulnerable in the first week of their life and are closely cared for by their mother until they are 18 months old.
These cubs are very significant to the Cheetah Preservation Foundation (CPF) programme that helps to protect and ensure the survival of cheetah population.
The principle aim of the Cheetah Natural Encounters Programme is to raise awareness of the plight for survival of our endangered animals. The funds generated also help with the general upkeep of these magnificent animals.
Another facet of the CPF programme at Cango Wildlife Ranch is our adoption programme. Individuals and companies have the opportunity to adopt a cheetah and by doing so, actively become involved in the conservation of these animals.
The reality is that extinction is forever, therefore conserving and protecting our cheetah population is vital for their survival.
We know that these new little fellows will soon crawl deep into the hearts of staff and visitors at Cango Wildlife Ranch.
More good news from Chris Koen, our Animal Department Supervisor, is that another litter of cheetah cubs is expected by the end of September 2011.
Now that is just purr-rrrrrrrrr-fect news !
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(Resource: Cango Wildlife Ranch / Photo: Cindy Deyzel – Cango Wildlife Ranch Experiences Department)
