CINCINNATI — Zoo baby season is usually a little closer to springtime, but the Cincinnati Zoo has already welcomed two tiny new additions.
Two cheetah cubs, born at the zoo's off-site property at Mast Farm, will become the newest members of the Cat Ambassador Program, joining the likes of Kris, Rozi, the rescued serval Amiri and many other big cats, the zoo announced Wednesday.
The newest additions to the pack are named Zola and Lulu — Swahili words meaning "tranquil" and "pearl," respectively.
Currently the pair are being raised in the zoo's nursery by a dedicated team; they're still eating from bottles of formula, but the zoo says they should be weaned in the coming weeks.
"When they are not eating or sleeping (which are both super cute) they like to teeth on various toys," caretakers wrote in the zoo's update. "Sometimes when they sleep, their little feet move as if they're dreaming. They also enjoy playing together and cuddling up near one another for naps."
The cubs are still finding their stability on all four paws, but caretakers said they're getting better at walking every day and will likely be running around the nursery soon.
In the past, when the Cincinnati Zoo has taken in cheetah cubs, each yet-to-be big cat is paired with a companion puppy, like the famous Remus and Kris.
But that won't be the case this time. Unlike many of their predecessors, who arrived at the zoo alone, Zola and Lulu have one another to play with, so they don't need the extra companionship.
When the cubs are older, they'll continue learning to be ambassador cheetahs and eventually they'll be featured in the Cincinnati Zoo's Cheetah Encounter.
But first, they have to grow up a bit first under the watchful care of zoo care team members.
"Our program has been hand-rearing cheetah cubs as ambassadors for decades to provide a vital role to cheetah conservation, being ambassadors for their species and educating guests locally and around the world," reads the zoo's announcement about the cubs.
Cheetahs are currently considered endangered, because of habitat reduction, illegal pet trade and human-wildlife conflict, the zoo said.
Until Zola and Lulu are old enough to be seen at cheetah encounter events, fans can watch their progress on the zoo's social media pages.
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