Florida’s White Oak Conservation Center has a new litter of Cheetah cubs!  Two male cubs and one female cub were born to mom Karamel in November.

Photo Credit:  Karen Meeks
 
Zoo keepers report that Karamel is very protective of her cubs, which is a natural behavior that female Cheetahs exhibit in the wild.

Breeding Cheetahs, which are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is a high priority for the staff at White Oak.  With Karamel’s litter of three cubs, 133 Cheetahs have been born at the center.

Though they are the fastest mammals on Earth, Cheetahs face many hurdles in the race against extinction.  Loss of suitable habitat is the primary threat to these cats, as well as persecution by farmers protecting their livestock.  Cheetahs’ unique genetics and their nutritional requirements make captive breeding especially challenging.