A CHEETAH based at Hwange National Park has successfully raised five cubs up to 10 months, which is a rare phenomenon as most cheetahs hardly see their young ones survive for such a long period, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has said.
BY STAFF REPORTER
Zimparks spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo said the feline, whose identity document for the Cheetah project is HNP013, was born in December of 2010 in a litter of three cubs and has been a study animal since 2011.
“She had her first litter of three cubs in 2014 and all three dispersed in 2016. It is sad that one died in a road collision soon after dispersal. This litter of five is her second litter and as Zimbabwe we certainly hope she manages to keep all five to the end. Good luck raising your offspring HNP013! She is indeed an iconic cheetah,” she said
Washaya-Moyo added that Zimbabwean cheetahs were ecologically classified under Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
“The environment is ideal for cheetahs, but other than natural causes of death, the population is affected by human activities which include road kills as well as snares.”
Zimbabwe is believed to be home to between 150 and 170 adult cheetahs and, of these, 80% are in wildlife protected areas, while 20% are on commercial farmland.
