The Smithsonian’s National Zoo may have been closed to guests during the recent U.S. government shutdown, but life in the animal kingdom carried on — including the arrival of four cheetah cubs.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) announced that Amabala, a 5-year-old cheetah, gave birth to her litter over two days on Oct. 17 and 18. The father is Flash, an 8-year-old male with surviving cubs from a previous litter. As is typical for the species, males are not involved in raising offspring.
The birth marks the 20th litter born at NZCBI’s Front Royal, Virginia campus, and the fifth to be showcased on the Cheetah Cub Cam, a livestream that allows viewers to watch the youngsters grow and explore. Amabala herself was born on this live feed, making the moment especially meaningful for zoo staff.
Adrienne Crosier, a carnivore biologist who leads the cheetah Species Survival Plan (SSP), said the team is thrilled because cheetahs can be difficult to breed due to their elusive behavior and unpredictable reproductive cycles. “It’s taken thousands of hours of work to produce 20 litters. Having Amabala deliver the 20th is a wonderful full-circle moment,” she shared.
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Zoo staff are allowing the first-time mother to take the lead on nurturing her cubs, maintaining a “hands-off” approach so the family can bond naturally. The organization reports that the newborns are active, vocal, strong, and eating well.
Because cheetah mothers may move their cubs around the habitat, the little ones might occasionally disappear from the camera’s view — a normal and healthy behavior.
NZCBI is a member of the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, a partnership of 10 facilities working to maintain a sustainable cheetah population in North America through the SSP program. The coalition collaborates with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ population management center to match animals based on health, temperament, and genetic diversity. Flash’s genetics are considered especially valuable, making his offspring important for future conservation efforts.
In the wild, cheetahs primarily inhabit sub-Saharan Africa and exist in small, fragmented groups. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as vulnerable, with only about 7,000 to 7,500 remaining due to habitat loss, poaching, and conflict with humans.
