A total of ten cubs were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Institute in Front Royal, Va. Photo credit: Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteYou might not know it, but there’s a “cheetah cub boom” at a Smithsonian institute in Virginia. A total of 10 healthy cubs survived and the arrival of their furry little faces increased the number of cheetahs at the Smithsonian Conversation Biology Institute by half. “The average litter size is three, so this time we’ve got an incredible pile of cubs,” said Adrienne Crosier, the institute’s cheetah biologist and manager of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Cheetah Species Survival Plan. Two cubs from one of the litters died, which officials said is common in large litters. [Meet some of the newest babies born this year at the National Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute]Scientists and keepers will monitor the cubs, who are scheduled to have their first veterinary exam at six weeks old.

Source: Washington Post April 06, 2017 01:57 UTC