They grow up so fast, don't they? Mother takes baby cheetahs out for a spot of exercise

By EMMA CLARK

Mother Dubai sticks close to her young cubs after venturing out their den for their first time

Like any doting mother, Dubai the cheetah stuck close to her young cubs as they ventured into the unknown for the first time.
But thankfully for these 12-week-old cubs there were no predators in sight, as their new surrounding was a safe enclosure at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
A set of endearing pictures shows the moment the litter of seven gingerly took their first steps for their public debut at the Zoo's Cheetah Rock today.

The dozy-looking cheetahs, who are only 12-weeks-old, are getting used to their new surroundings

But the cubs, which are yet to be named, soon found their confidence and were seen playing with mum Dubai, jumping over rocks and chasing each other.
Each with five or sex brothers or sisters to play with it, was a whole new world of fun for the sextuplets who still had some reassuring affection from mum throughout the day.

Protective mum Dubai keeps a careful look out while her litter get used to their new environment

It was the first time the youngsters had been allowed outside after spending their first few weeks in the safety of their den.
The 12-week-olds are the second litter of the Northern cheetah, an endangered species, to be born at the zoo.

The cubs cower next to here and she susses out the enclosure for the first time with her young

But the young cubs soon show their mischievous side as they investigate a fallen tree

Senior keeper Marie Brown said: 'All seven are extremely playful but mum's very patient with them all and is doing a great job of bringing them up.'
The births comes two years after Dubai gave birth to her first cubs, which were the first litter of Northern cheetah cubs ever born in the UK.
It means the cubs are a cause for great celebration for both the Zoo and the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP), who in 2010 estimated that there are less than 250 of the critically endangered subspecies remaining in the wild.
ZSL works in Algeria to help protect the cheetahs in the wild, and conservationists from ZSL were the first to record camera-trap images of the elusive species in 2009.

Copying mum: The young cub tries to show his aggressive side but still manages to look cute

But despite the freedom of the enclosure, the youngsters show there is still nothing better than some reassuring affection from mum


It is the second litter of cubs for cheetah Dubai, who had the UK's first litter of Northern cheetah in 2010

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Meals on wheels! The moment cheetahs tried to peel open a three-wheel bubble car as it trundles along 'on safari'

By PAUL HARRIS

Intrepid Mail man Paul Harris drives a Trident Peel Electric Car around Longleat Safari and Adventure Park in Wiltshire.... and meets its inhabitants, up close and personal

Here's a question you probably thought you’d never have to ask: what happens when the world’s fastest cat meets the world’s slowest car?
Answer: it chases it, catches it – and eats it.
That was the result of a cat versus car challenge at Longleat safari park to discover if the latest incarnation of the reborn 1960s Peel Car could ever hack it in the 21st century urban jungle.
To be perfectly honest, there’s not much point trying to out-accelerate a cheetah when you’re driving a Peel Trident.

One of the park's cheetahs spots supper in a strange red can

The battery-powered three-wheeler is no match for the awesome jungle sprinter

Paul hopes the car's British engineering is strong enough to keep the big cat at bay

Paul: 'I try not to make eye contact, despite the fact that his big, amber eyes are almost burning a hole through the Trident's rather flimsy glass-fibre panels'

There must surely be few drivers who can boast that their windscreen has been licked clean by the rasping tongue of Acinonyx jubatus - which is useful, as it turns out, because the Peel boasts only a single, hand-operated wiper
Casey and Max, both three-year-old male residents of the 300-acre Wiltshire park, can do 0-70mph in a matter of seconds.
The Trident – a whining, three-wheel soap-bubble of a battery-powered car – struggles audibly when challenged by anything tougher than a gentle uphill slope.

So the only thing to do when you find yourself face to face with two high-speed cheetahs clawing at the bodywork is to stop. And to keep very still.
And perhaps to pray that British engineering will prove robust enough against the visibly sharp teeth of two far from happy cats.
Not to mention their rather disconcerting determination to access the meat inside the curiously shaped can of cat food that has just trundled into their kingdom.
On the plus side, there must surely be few drivers who can boast that their windscreen has been licked clean by the rasping tongue of Acinonyx jubatus - which is useful, as it turns out, because the Peel boasts only a single, hand-operated wiper).

Casey and Max, both three-year-old male residents, are worryingly close to their potential feast

One has a top speed of 72mph - and the other is nowhere near that. Guess which is which...

Not so helpful is the fact that Max is trying to unpeel the Peel Car by biting the lip of its Perspex dome roof, the perilously fragile barrier that separates me from his open jaw.
‘Good pussycat,’ I say in reassuring tones, as Casey gets up on his hind legs to peer down at me.
He stands more than 6ft tall and towers over the car with his paws spread out on the roof.
I try not to make eye contact, despite the fact that his big, amber eyes are almost burning a hole through the Trident’s rather flimsy glass-fibre panels. Inside, the windscreen is quickly steaming up (can’t think why).
Outside, meanwhile, the big cats at last appear to be losing interest and are loping off to shelter from the rain.
Time to go. I turn on the ignition, floor the stop/go pedal and take off at dodgem-car speed across the grass.
Max gives me a disparaging glance. But where’s Casey? Fifty yards away, I spot him running parallel with me. It’s that long, low canter that you usually see only on David Attenborough documentaries as a cheetah prepares to run down its prey.
Suddenly there is a massive thud from behind. Casey has clearly had enough of this nonsense and has raced up in my blind spot to attack.

The Peel Trident is a newly developed sibling of the P50, a Postman Pat-style oddity first seen on British roads in 1962, and rarely since. Bet the cheetah didn't know that

Had I been a gazelle, it would be lunchtime right now. With the car somehow surviving, however, he gives one tyre a casual chew and wanders off.
The Peel Trident is a newly developed sibling of the P50, a Postman Pat-style oddity first seen on British roads in 1962, and rarely since.
Only 50 were ever produced. Now Peel Engineering is remanufacturing them after backing from Dragons’ Den entrepreneur James Caan, and has added the equally bizarre Trident to the range.

While the wolves just encircled it...

It has two seats (just) instead of one; plus an all-over bubble roof, which, by coincidence, is perfect for wildlife spectating.
Longleat doesn’t normally encourage its 1million annual visitors to get this close to the big cats, of course – but you’re welcome to get your car dismantled in the monkey enclosure if you wish, the Safari Park equivalent of taking it to Kwik-Fit.
The Trident proved a big hit with about 20 of them. Elsewhere, wolves encircled it; the zebras didn’t bother crossing the road to see it; and the giraffes simply took the long view.

... the monkeys tried - and failed - to dismantle it

And the cheetahs? ‘They were only being inquisitive,’ said Ian Turner, Longleat’s deputy head warden. ‘If they really wanted to get in, they would.’
And as for the other animals...

And as for the giraffes, they took the long view before sauntering off

source: dailymail

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Having a cat nap, the cheetah cub who went under anaesthetic for surgery on fractured leg

By DAVID BAKER

Surgery: Vet Livia Benato and anaesthetic nurse Tanya Grubb tend to Juba the Cheetah cub, who needed surgery on its leg

Running around at incredible speeds can wear out even the most sprightly of young cheetahs. But far from taking time out for a quick cat nap poor Juba was in bed for an entirely different reason. That's because the nine-month-old feline had to endure an anaesthetic and an hour long surgery to help fix its fractured leg.
Having been carried in to the operating theatre by zoo keeper Andy Wolfenden, it took three specialists to operate on the wounded cub.
Led by Rob Pettitt from the University of Liverpool, vet Livia Benato and anaestethtic nurse Tanya Grubb tended to the Chester Zoo resident for its lengthy surgery.

Helping hand: Zoo keeper Andy Wolfenden carries Juba the Cheetah cub into the operating theatre

But following the successful operation Juba was up and running again after a metal plate was inserted into its right ankle.
In a statement on Chester Zoo's website, vet Steve Unwin said: 'We believe the fracture has been caused by a weakness in Juba’s leg, which has been aggravated by the rough and tumble antics of young cubs.
'Cats are adept at hiding any discomfort but we are fortunate that we are able to keep a very close eye on our animals and so quickly picked up that something wasn’t quite right.

Open wide: Surgeons at Chester Zoo operate on poorly Juba the Cheetah cub

'Juba has been a model patient and we are pleased that, at this point in time, the operation seems to have gone well.
'Although Juba will need some rest for the next few weeks, we are hopeful he will be back up on his paws again in no time.'
Juba has now been returned to the cheetah den along with the rest of his family.

Anaesthtic: Juba the Cheetah is put under an anaesthtic whilst a metal plate is inserted in his ankle


Juba: Veterinary staff lift Juba the Cheetah cub onto a set of scales ahead of his operation at Chester Zoo

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Pulling a fast one: Heathrow border agents seize live CHEETAH being smuggled into Britain

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Fast one: Isaac the cheetah was seized by officials at Heathrow when they spotted his identity marker, used to tackle the trade in illegal animals and stop smugglers cheating the system, was missing

They may be the fastest animal on land, but one cheetah was stopped in his tracks when he came across border officials at Europe’s busiest airport.
Isaac the cheetah was seized by officials when they spotted his identity marker, used to tackle the trade in illegal animals and stop smugglers cheating the system, was missing.
The endangered African cheetah was stopped at London’s Heathrow airport as he was being taken to Russia from a safari park in South Africa, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) said.

Settling in: Isaac will now be re-homed in a wildlife park in the UK until officials find out why his microchip was missing. Transporting endangered animals without chips is a breach of international law

He will now be re-homed in a wildlife park in the UK until officials find out why his microchip was missing.
Marc Owen, head of UKBA operations at Heathrow, said: 'The illicit trade in animals is a serious contributory factor in the threat of extinction faced by many endangered species, and that is why the rules around moving them are so strict.
'Each animal has to be clearly identifiable by a unique marking, for instance a microchip, to ensure they can be tracked and traced, and to prevent them being sold illegally.' Transporting endangered animals without microchips is a breach of the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species.

Refuge: Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow Airport where all animals arriving on flights from other countries are taken and put into quarantine

Mr Owen went on: 'At this stage we do not know whether this was simply an error or whether there were other reasons for it.
'Isaac has been thoroughly examined and is in good health. He will now be re-homed in a UK wildlife park whilst investigations continue.'
Isaac was one of four cheetahs which landed at the airport on December 22.
Two female cheetahs were allowed to continue their journey while another male was sent back to South Africa, UKBA officials said.

source: dailymail

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Who says cats and dogs don't get along? The cheetah and Labrador who have become firm friends at Busch Zoo

Just the two of us: Kali the cheetah and puppy, Mtani have become close friends


While most cats and dogs couldn't stand being in the same room together for five minutes, roommates Kasi and Mtani are inseparable.

Thanks to their introduction a young age, four-and-a-half-month-old cheetah Kasi has found a friend for life in the form of a nine-month-old Labrador called, Mtani.

The pair were put together soon after Kasi was rejected by his mother at birth.

The animals' carers at Busch Zoo in Tampa, Florida, hand-picked Mtani from a local rescue centre to ensure the then four-week-old Kasi had a companion to grow up with.

'Male cheetahs are social and often live together in coalitions.


Kali attempt to get Mtani's attention, and below, succumbs to his mate's advances to play together


'This social bond will be a very similar relationship, and they will be together for life,' said Tim Smith, one of Busch Gardens' animal curators.

After being rejected by his mother at birth, Kasi needed round-the-clock care to ensure his survival.

Soon after his arrival at Busch he was introduced to sixteen week old Mtani, and their friendship has blossomed ever since.



Despite coming from warring tribes, the pair are never happier than when frolicking together in the enclosure they share at the zoo.


Twice a day the unlikely due are brought out for visitors to see completely oblivious to the interest in their living arrangements.

'Kali and Mtali live together in our new cheetah run habitat. They love to play together; Mtali will chase sticks and Kali will try to steal it away from her.

'They love chasing each other around and play fighting. They are very curious, especially of the people looking at them through the glass,' said Jill Revelle, a Busch Gardens spokesperson.

Cheetahs are considered to be an endangered species and around 12,400 exist in the wild.

source: dailymail

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No cheeting please: The extraordinary moment a fight erupts between two cheetahs where one is spotted leaping FOUR FEET into the air

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Jump around: The bruising encounter was a harsh lesson for the younger cheetah, challenged by the older male


The fur is literally flying in this extraordinary set of photos when a fight erupts among a group of cheetahs.

One of the cats leaps four feet in the air during the remarkable confrontation between two males.

The bruising encounter was a harsh lesson for the younger cheetah, who had been challenged by the older male.

The youngster was given a rough ride as its mother stood back with his sister - a sign that she wanted her son to take care of himself.

British photographer Elliott Neep captured the moments the family of three were approached by the cheetah, in Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, in Tanzania.


High jump: One of the cats leaps 4ft in the air during the dramatic confrontation between two males


Elliott, 36, from Wantage, in Oxfordshire, said: 'We spotted three cheetahs resting in the shade.

'They were not settled and seemed very agitated. Their body language told me that something was wrong.

'Then, in the shade of a nearby tree just a few feet away, we could see a fourth cheetah.

'We tried to figure out what was happening but it was not clear. A young cheetah rose from the ground and immediately, the cheetah under the tree pounced and lashed out at him.

'The youngster flipped onto its back in a state of submission and the big male leapt over.

'As soon as the big male moved, I started firing the shutter. I just had a sudden instinct that a fight was imminent.


Take that: The encounter unfolds, including the high-jumping cheetah leaping in the air


'The situation quickly unravelled and the scene became clear. This was an adult male attempting to push out a female's full-grown cubs to mate.

'After the dust settled, the big male came face to face with the youngster and began sounding a long drawn-out meow.

'It was similar to the sound two domestic cats make when they have a territorial dispute in the garden.



Fur flying: The youngster was given a rough ride as its mother stood back with his sister - a sign that she wanted her son to take care of himself


'The young male began to chirp to its mother for support. But she did not intervene - for me, a clear sign that she had finished raising them and it was time for them to leave.' He added: 'We left with the four cheetahs still grouped together, but exhausted and tired under the midday sun.

'The sequence looked great on the camera and had a massive grin on my face.

'When I reviewed it later on the big screen, the grin was even wider as I could now see the fur literally flying when the cheetah was in mid-air.'


source :dailymail

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Squeak, squeak! The cheetah cub reared by hand that sounds like a little bird

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Cuddly: The cheetah being reared at Busch Gardens animal theme park in Florida


It looks like a cute baby cheetah, but it sounds like a bird.

The cuddly five-week old cub has yet to find his growl and squeaks when it wants food which it gulps down at Florida's Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa.

It will grow up to be the fastest cat in the world, but for now it needs round-the-clock care.

Experts are hand rearing the animal because its mother wasn't able to care for him at Jacksonville Zoo.

Soon after birth, the still-unnamed cheetah lost weight as its mother couldn't produce milk, so zoo officials sent him to Tampa for some tender loving care.


Curious and hungry: The cheetah cub is being cared for round-the clock care by animal experts


Now, at just over two pounds - the weight of two bags of sugar - the cub is becoming stronger everyday.

The animal has already melted hearts at the theme park and once the baby is strong and old enough, he will join a group of cheetahs in a new habitat that will soon open at the park which brings guests face to face with the cats.

The cub is also likely to be part of a cheetah breeding program which is aimed at boosting the population of these critically-endangered animals.

There are estimated 12,400 cheetahs living in the wild. Cheetah Run is an area of the park specifically set up for the cheetah with a 250ft run for the fast cats to run free on.


Raw Video: Baby Cheetah Squeaks, Scrambles



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Just like mum! Cheetah cubs pictured climbing trees at Masai Mara safari camp

By CHRIS LEADBEATER and SARAH GORDON

Keeping up with mum: The baby cheetahs try to follow their mother up the acacia tree


And she has every reason to be watchful. While the cheetah is the fastest mammal on the planet, the initial months of the average cub's existence are fraught with danger. The animal relies on its speed for survival as well as sustenance - and the first few weeks of life, when cubs lack the power that will make them lethal predators once they reach adulthood, are extremely difficult.

Around 90 per cent of cheetahs are killed during this time, their size and diminutive stature leaving them vulnerable to attack from larger African predators, including lions, hyenas and leopards.

Still covered in their baby fluff and balancing on legs that seem too long for their bodies, these young cubs look to be a long way from joining the ranks of adult cheetahs.

But that doesn't stop them wanting to be just like mum.

Spotted outside the Kicheche Camp in Kenya's Masai Mara, the six balls of fledgling fur attempt to follow their mother up an acacia tree as she looks out over the plains.



Long way up: The more timid cubs attempt to join their siblings at the top of the tree


The species is deemed to be endangered. Estimates suggest some 12,500 cheetahs are alive in the wild, spread across 25 African countries. Namibia has the densest population - the southern African state is believed to be home to around 2500 of the cats.

Still, this sibling sextet does not seem to be doing too badly, as these exclusive photos show - even if the feline art of climbing a tree seems to come easier to some than it does to others.


The view's great from up here: Once balanced in among the branches, the young cheetahs look quite at home


While one youngster makes it halfway up the trunk, finds a crook in a branch - and refuses to give up his hard-won spot - another cuts his losses and springs back to the ground.

Meanwhile, what appears to be the smallest club waits contentedly below the tree, showing no concern about trying to keep up with his adventurous siblings, preferring the view from ground level.


Leap of faith: Lower down the tree, the other cubs are struggling to cling on


Another, meanwhile, makes it all the way to the top of the tree, finding the position furthest removed from potential threat - but also risks the wrath of mum by placing himself right under her feet as she continues her lonely sentry role.

Although the cubs look ungainly here, cheetahs are among the most agile creatures on earth, able to reach speeds of up to 75 miles per hour - faster than the UK speed limit, and any other land animal.

In peak condition, they can accelerate from a standing start to 60 miles per hour in three seconds.


That's enough of that: One of the cubs bails out


They are also among the most elusive of the wild big cats - and can be particularly tricky to spot when they are protecting their young. Moreover, they are rarely seen climbing trees.

But lucky guests at the luxury tented Kicheche Camp, on the borders of the Masai Mara Reserve, were treated to this rare display earlier this month, as the cubs took advantage of their mum's rare foray into the branches to have a go at scampering up and down the acacia themselves.


Trunk call: One of the cheetah cubs finds a lofty viewpoint, and digs in


"Cheetahs seldom climb trees, leaving clambering to leopards with their sharper claws," explains Kicheche's Paul Goldstein, who took the images.

"But for youngsters of three months, acacia trees are leisure centres, and these six lost little time in frolicking up and down its trunk.



We preferred it up there, mum: The cubs return to solid ground - but seem to prefer the safety of the branches


"But the mother has a worrying time ahead of her. Bringing up a brood of cheetah cubs is one of the toughest tasks on the plains. And seldom successful."

For more information on Kicheche Mara Camp, see www.kicheche.com.

Safari Consultants (01787 888 590, www.safari-consultants.co.uk) offers seven nights at Kicheche Mara Camp from £2,560 per adult and £1,490 per child (based on two adults and one or two children aged 12 or under sharing a tent - including flights, transfers, all meals, game viewing and park fees.


source : dailymail

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These kids eat nothing but fast food: SIX hungry cheetah cubs learn to hunt with mum

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A cheetah with her six cubs in Massai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, all in a row


With six hungry mouths to feed, there’s only one thing a mother can do – teach the kids to get their own tea.

This cheetah and her unusually large family seem to be making good progress on the self-catering front, even if the playful cubs sometimes forget hunting duty for a spot of rough and tumble instead.

Barely 10 per cent of cheetah cubs make it past three months in the wild, so at a sleek four months, these youngsters have already beaten the harshest of odds.

And they are a real credit to their mother’s ingenuity and dedication. As well as teaching them to hunt, she has to keep them hidden from predators, frequently changing hiding places to keep their enemies guessing.

Then she has to put up with their rather boisterous behaviour – six times over. But the family photos, taken in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, show she is managing beautifully so far.

A spokesman for the Cheetah Conservation Fund was delighted that such an endangered species is doing so well. She said: ‘It fills us with hope that a mother can successfully look after numbers like this.’


UP HERE! The cheetah led her brood up a tree for a better look at the beautiful surroundings


She no doubt has her paws full with the rambunctious brood


But she’ll have her paws full for some time.

Cheetah cubs don’t leave their mothers until they are 18 months old.

Captured on camera in October in the Massai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, by Italian wildlife photographer Paolo Torchio the little ones pestering their dedicated mum - just like excitable school kids running around the feet of a human parent.


The mum didn't have much time to prepare for her six-fold blessing. Cheetah pregnancies only last about three months


There was no father cheetah in site as the cubs dashed about with their mum close by


Their rough-and-tumble approach to play will equip them with the skills they'll need when they mature, so they can cope with a life in the big wide world and hunt successfully.

Patricia Tricorache from international charity Cheetah Conservation Fund, said: 'It's an extraordinary and rare achievement to successfully rear a litter of this size, and great news for the species.'

For more stunning cheetah photos, visit the BBC Wildlife Magazine website at www.bbcwildlifemagazine.com


These two cubs enjoyed a playful sibling wrestling match


Cheetahs are easily distinguished from leopards by the black tear lines under their eyes


The seven beautiful cats took a break from playing and enjoyed a peaceful sunset together


source: dailymail

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