Cheetah cubs saved from certain death

Four cheetah cubs, neglected by their mother are doing well, reports Christchurch's Orana Park. Photo / Supplied

Four cheetah cubs at Christchurch's Orana Park are now two weeks old, have their eyes open and have nearly doubled their birth weights.

Due to neglect from their inexperienced mother, the cubs were saved from certain death when park staff chose to hand-raise them.

Park spokesman Ian Adams said cheetah cubs were notoriously difficult to raise both in captivity and out of it, with a 95 per cent mortality rate in the wild.

"The cubs have virtually doubled their birth weight. They have their eyes open and are now supporting their own weight - they are quite active when out of the incubator. We are thrilled with their progress but their lives could still be in the balance," he said.

Staff at the park had so far raised 11 big cats to adulthood - making Orana Park one of the few zoos in the world to establish a successful breeding programme, Mr Adams said.

- NZPA