Twelve cheetah cubs were born last week at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., the Smithsonian Institute announced Wednesday.
The institute said the two large litters were brought into the world by 3-year-old Happy, who gave birth to five cubs on March 23, and 7-year-old Miti, who gave birth to seven cubs March 28.
“The average littler size is three, so this time we have an incredible pile of cubs,” said cheetah biologist Adrienne Cosier. “In just one week, we increased the number of cheetahs at SCBI by 50 percent.”
The litters are also noteworthy because they mark the second generation of cubs born to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, extending the breeding facilities lineage and making grandparents of two older cheetahs that were recently retired together, Amani and Barafu.
Two of Miti’s cubs who were born significantly smaller died shortly after birth, an occurrence which the Smithsonian says is common among large litters.
Both mothers are doing well and are attentive to their 10 healthy cubs. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute said it will continue to monitor the health and behavior of the cubs.
