The Metro Richmond Zoo is proud to announce the births of three cheetah litters - two in April and one in August 2021! The mothers are Rey (pictured in the video in her indoor shelter area), Vaila, and Khari.

The 11 total new cubs were born at the zoo’s Cheetah Conservation Center, a private, specialized area dedicated solely to the protection of cheetahs. Since 2013, 77 cheetahs have been born at the zoo in the conservation center.

Vaila and her cubs were moved last week to the cheetah habitat in the zoo for guests to see.

The cheetah’s wild population has decreased 93% in the last 120 years, making it Africa’s most endangered big cat. To protect the future of this species, a thriving population of cheetahs in zoological parks is necessary. The Metro Richmond Zoo has become a leader in the global zoo community for cheetah conservation. Many of the cheetahs at the zoo have high genetic value since they are unrelated to most of the cheetahs in the United States.

The Metro Richmond Zoo collaborates with the Zoological Association of America and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to make recommendations on where to place cheetahs for breeding purposes to strengthen the gene pool.

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