Ruuxa, a male cheetah cub who recently underwent surgery to repair growth abnormalities in his front limbs, showed great signs of improvement as he took a walk with his trainers and puppy pal, Raina, earlier today at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The young cheetah is on limited activity to allow his limbs to heal but he is showing no signs of slowing down. After the therapeutic walk, Ruuxa and Raina found time to engage in play behavior with some jumping, pouncing and wrestling.
The young cub was diagnosed with a growth abnormality in his forelegs where the growth plate in the ulna stopped growing before the radius, causing a bowing of the limbs. He underwent surgery to correct the abnormality on Sept. 3 at the Safari Park's Harter Veterinary Medical Center and has been recovering, with Raina, a Rhodesian ridgeback puppy, never far from his side.
Ruuxa and Raina, now just over four months old, were placed together at four and five weeks of age, respectively, to be raised as ambassador animals after the cheetah cub was rejected by his mother and had to be hand raised by keepers. Safari Park ambassador cheetahs are paired with a domestic dog for companionship, and the dog's body language helps communicate to the cheetah that there is nothing to fear in new or public surroundings, which relaxes and calms the cheetah.
Visitors to the Safari Park may see Ruuxa and Raina on a Behind-the-Scenes Cheetah & Friends Tour, or guests may possibly see them on one of the training sessions around the Park.
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