Port Lympne Pleased To Announce The Arrival Of A Cheetah Litter

The Aspimall Foundation’s Port Lympne Wild Animal Park is delighted to announce the birth of the first set of cheetah cubs at the conservation park in almost three decades.

The cheetah, which is affectionately known as Izzy gave birth to four cubs in September and the animals handlers are pleased with the progress the cubs have made so far.

Rich Barnes, Head of Large Carnivores commented: “We are really chuffed that as a first time Mum Izzy’s done really well. It is quite difficult to breed cheetahs as the process is quite different to other species, so we are really pleased that it has all gone well.”

Breeding cheetahs is a complex task when compared with other species because females show a specific preference for a mate which means it is difficult to introduce pairs to one another. The breeding process for cheetahs requires a lot of management in comparison to other animals. Therefore the birth of the litter is an extraordinary accomplishment; more so given it was successful on its first attempt and in light of the difficulties of breeding cheetahs in captivity.

The wild cheetah can be found in pockets around Africa and in parts of Asia which makes conservation difficult because the distribution of the species is so fragmented. This means the cheetah is quickly losing its habitat because most of the current protected areas are simply not big enough to ensure the long term survival of the species.

The cheetah is famous for being both agile and lightweight, allowing them to reach speeds as fast as 70 mph.

Izzy arrived at the park nearly eighteen months ago, coming from a park in Denmark as part of Port Lympne’s breeding program. Izzy was introduces to Sifiso a male resident of the park and the cubs are the first litter for the pair.