ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — An 11-year-old cheetah has given birth to two cubs, adding to the approximately 250 cheetahs in captivity worldwide.
The offspring are two of more than 160 cheetahs born in the Wildlife Safari near Roseburg since 1973. The park says it has produced more cheetah cubs than any park in North America.
But breeding cheetahs is a difficult task.
Park executive director Dan Van Slyke says the male and female cheetahs must be an ideal genetic match to produce viable cubs.
Visitors can go to the park’s Facebook page to vote on their names.
The park says the cubs’ mother, Liz, will not bear any more young due to her age. The average life span of cheetahs in captivity is 12 to 13 years.
