Two male cheetahs, Ichabod and Lee, were successfully transported to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in New South Wales, Australia to become potential mates.
Tyler, Texas — editor's Note: The above video aired in October discussing the Caldwell Zoo's cheetah conservation efforts.
Caldwell Zoo celebrated a major milestone in its efforts to conserve endangered species.
Two male cheetahs, Ichabod and Lee, were successfully flown Taronga Western Plains Zoo The cheetahs were brought to New South Wales, Australia, to become potential mates as part of a collaborative breeding program that began in 2018 but was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They arrived Sunday, marking a significant milestone in global efforts to preserve the cheetah population, Caldwell Zoo officials said.
“It was very difficult for them to let those cats go, but they knew that overall it would be for the better of the species,” said Jesse Santee, curator of mammals at the Caldwell Zoo. “And we're very proud of what we accomplished. And we're proud to have done it.”
Ichabod and Lee were born during the pandemic to parents Mary Jo and Satan, now affectionately called “Stan,” and are part of the Caldwell Zoo's breeding program to ensure the long-term survival of the species. There are about 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, Santee said.
“They face a lot of conflicts, including human encroachment, smuggling of cubs, poaching, and even the fact that they have a lot of genetic bottlenecks that cause a lot of negative things that happen with their breeding, like mutations and things like that that hold them back,” Santi said. “They're one of the smaller big cats, and they're not really good at catching their prey.”
Taronga Western Plains Zoo will now work towards incorporating both cheetahs into its breeding program, which is part of a collaborative effort between the two zoos. Caldwell Zoo said maintaining genetic diversity is integral to successful breeding, and the addition of the two cubs to Taronga Western Plains Zoo helps promote healthy diversity among potential mates.
“What we are doing in zoos will help keep cheetahs available to everyone in the future, as their overall population in the wild is declining,” Santi said.