The zoo keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo have had their hands full raising a little cheetah cub named Siri.
Siri was born on May 21 this year to experienced mother Halla. But usually, cheetahs are born in litters of three to five cubs. When a single cub is born, mother cheetahs generally reject the cub since survival rates for a single cub are low in the wild.
Zoo keeper Linda Matthews said: “We were on alert when we knew there was only one cub, and after 24hrs based on what we were seeing, we intervened to give Siri the best chance of survival.”
For the first six weeks, keepers provided 24/7 care for the cub.
At eight weeks, they introduced a 7-week-old retriever cross mastiff puppy named Iris as a companion. This will help Siri develop her animal instincts and social interaction.
Learn more about cheetahs in our cheetah facts article.