In the past 100 years, the cheetah population has dropped from 100,000 to only about 9,000-12,000, which no qualifies them as an endangered species. So when the staff at the Cincinnati Zoo found out that their pregnant cheetah Willow was considered high risk, they did everything to keep her and her 5 babies healthy.
When it came time for delivery, the staff decided the best way to try and keep them all alive was to perform a rare C-section on Willow. Yet days after giving birth to her 5 healthy cubs, Willow passed away. “Cheetahs are a fragile species and this difficult birth proved to be too much for her to pull through,” said Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “Willow was able to contribute to the survival of her species by producing five cheetah cubs. Without the C-section, we likely would have lost both the mom and the cubs.”
Since their birth, the cubs have been getting around the clock care to make sure they stay healthy and develop normally.
To help fill their mother’s absence and provide comforting cuddles, staff introduced an Australian shepherd named ‘Blakely’ who is the Zoo’s resident nanny to the cheetah babies. “His first job is to let the cubs climb on him, which they did as soon as they were put together. They need the exercise to build muscle tone and get their guts moving,” Strasser said.
As the cubs grow, Blakely’s role in their development will shift from climbable companion and hairy warm body to teacher and role model.
Watch the entire video below to see the precious moment these 5 orphaned cheetahs got a new ‘mom’.
Would you have thought a dog would be a good surrogate parent to a group of orphaned baby cheetahs? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this amazing moment with friends on Facebook.
[Featured image credit: Youtube/The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden]
Loving Dog Becomes ‘Mom’ To 5 Orphaned Cheetah Cubs is an article from: LifeDaily