Cheetah Cubs / National Zoo

Five Cheetah cubs were born on May 28, 2011, to six-year-old Amani at the National Zoo’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. Amani gave birth to a single male cub in December 2010. The cubs got their first exam with our veterinarians on 12 July. The cubs, now seven weeks old, are healthy and thriving, and they’re growing quickly. They now each weigh between four and five pounds. The veterinary team performed full physical examinations to make sure none of the cubs had any abnormalities. They were given their first vaccinations to protect against respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses, both of which commonly affect Cheetahs — via ZooBorns