Cheetah Cubs Beat the Odds
After a rocky start in the world, two three-week-old cheetah cubs were transferred to the Smithsonian National Zoo last week where they are being hand-raised and will debut to the public later this summer.
Five-year-old cheetah and first-time mom Ally gave birth to the first cub, a male, on April 23 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. Ally abandoned the cub instead of nursing and cleaning it, a common occurrence for first time cheetah moms under the care of humans, according to the zoo.
(read more: OurAmazingPlanet)
(photo: Adrienne Crosier, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute)
