Baby cheetahs!
A litter of five cheetah cubs was born at the Saint Louis Zoo River’s Edge Cheetah Breeding Center on May 5, 2025. The cubs are the first successful cheetah births at the Zoo in more than seven years and are a significant contribution to the population of cheetahs in North American zoos.
This is the first litter for first-time parents Cora and Vader. “Cora’s Quints” are all doing well and bonding with her in a private maternity den. It will be several months before the cheetah family makes a public debut at the age when cubs would naturally leave the den with their mother.
“We’re thrilled to see Cora, a first-time mother, taking great care of her newborns. The average litter size for cheetahs is three to four cubs, though it’s not unusual for quintuplets to be born,” said Julie Hartell-DeNardo, Kevin Beckmann Curator of Carnivores, Saint Louis Zoo. “Each recommended cheetah birth is significant for the survival of this vulnerable species. Our dedicated Animal Care teams have been instrumental in these successful births from the pairing and introductions of Cora and Vader to the family’s dietary needs, hormonal analysis for pregnancy monitoring, veterinary care, preparing a maternal den and so much more,” said Hartell-DeNardo.
The first few months of life are critical for newborn cheetahs. The Animal Care team is monitoring the cheetah family via camera allowing them to watch Cora develop into an attentive mom —cleaning, nursing the cubs and keeping them warm. In the coming weeks, the cubs will receive their first well-baby check by the Zoo’s Veterinary Care team. Since the mother is keeping the litter close for the time being, that will be the first chance for the care team to determine the sex of each cub. The Zoo will wait until after the exam to name the cubs.
Photos by Maddison Syberg/Saint Louis Zoo