Amani, a two-year-old female cheetah, explores her new surroundings at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Amani came to the Zoo in late December from Wildlife Safari, an animal park in Winston, Ore. She had been off exhibit for the last few months as she gradually adjusted to keepers, her new yard and the Zoo’s other cheetahs, a trio of brothers. Visitors can now see Amani daily at the Cheetah Conservation Station. Animal care staff hope that she will breed with one of the cheetah brothers in the future. It will be up to Amani to choose which of the cheetahs, if any, she wants to breed with – the same type of breeding behavior that a female cheetah in the wild would display.
Photo Credit: Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Date: Wednesday, March 26
The newest cheetah at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo rests in her yard at the Cheetah Conservation Station. Amani, a two-year-old female, arrived at the Zoo from an Oregon animal park in late December, but had been kept off exhibit until she got accustomed to her new surroundings. If all goes as planned, Amani will breed with at least one of the Zoo’s three cheetah brothers at some point in the future. Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land mammal, adapted for brief but intense bursts of speed. They can reach 45 miles per hour within two-and-a-half seconds, with a top speed of 64 miles per hour. The cheetah population has declined dramatically over the last century mostly due to hunting. An estimated 12,000 to 15,000 cheetahs remain in the wild.
Photo Credit: Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Date: Wednesday, March 26
