Cheetah cubs born at Beekse Bergen Safari Park

Cheetah cubs were born in Safari Park Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek on Sunday. The mother and two cubs are doing well, the park reported.

The female cheetah Daria came from France to Beekse Bergen in October as part of a management program. "Just four months after arrival, there are already cubs. And to think that the pregnancy lasts about three months," says head zookeeper Christian Meurrens.

This is Daria's first litter. Originally, the litter consisted of three cubs. "It's a shame, but it's not unusual for a cub not to survive its first litter. A first birth like this takes a little longer anyway and something probably went wrong," says Meurrens.

Beekse Bergen is the studbook keeper of the European cheetah management program. Curator Lars Versteege said that they aimed to find two animals that matched genetically. "As coordinator of the management program, we have the important task of putting genetically good animals together, so that we have a healthy reserve population in European zoos. We are very happy with these two healthy cubs."

The cheetahs will be in the enclosure for the coming weeks. According to Meurrens, it is not easy for young cheetahs to explore the outside world on their own. "The eyes will open in about a week. The duo must also grow first so that they are strong enough for the outside world. After a medical check and deworming, we will also find out the gender of the cubs."

According to Beekse Bergen, there are barely 7,000 cheetahs in the wild. According to the park, if no action is taken, there is a very high risk that the species will quickly become extinct. "About 75 percent of all cheetahs live outside protected areas and then come into conflict with livestock farmers, which has consequences for the cheetahs," says Meurrens.