Cheetah Cub Born At Taronga

A cheetah cub is being hand-reared by zookeepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo after it was delivered early via emergency caesarean section.

In the early hours of February 22, zookeepers watched anxiously as cheetah mum-to-be Siri went into early labour.

The pregnant cheetah, who had challenges conceiving* and miscarried* a litter in 2024, was still five days from her earliest due date.

“Though five days doesn’t sound like a lot, a cheetah’s pregnancy is about 93 days and so those final five days are critical,” said senior veterinarian Dr Alisa Wallace, who leads the Wildlife Hospital team at the Dubbo zoo.

With cameras in Siri’s den box, keepers noticed that something wasn’t right and made the decision to perform an emergency C-section* to give the premature cubs the best chance at surviving.

The procedure took place at the Wildlife Hospital in full view of guests who were at Western Plains Zoo that Saturday afternoon.

“Our visitors were actually able to witness the delivery of these cubs and see all of the care that goes into that procedure,” Dr Wallace said. “I know there were a lot of people very excited to see the cubs take their first breath.”