Could love be in the air for new cheetahs at Longleat?

Tuesday, 9 April 2024 01:00

Keepers at Longleat are hoping there will be romance in the air this spring for three young cheetah males.

Themba, Ajani and Lunis have been exploring the grounds of Longleat after arriving from Germany.

The trio arrived after resident cheetahs Mo and Bolt were moved to the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent as part of the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme.

Mo and Bolt were born at Longleat in August 2019 but, as they are related to Xena, one of the park’s two female cheetahs, couldn’t breed and didn’t show any interest in the other feline, Rachel.

Their keeper Kayleigh Smith said, “They are wonderful. We are really happy to have them and really hoping for more cheetah cubs which is so important for the breeding programme.

“When they arrived, they came straight out and were climbing, playing, grooming and running; they can run from zero to 70 if they really want to in this great open space that they have at Longleat.”

A new video released this week shows the journey for the boys from Stuttgart, through quarantine and finally being able to reach speeds of 70mph in the grounds of the Wiltshire Safari Park.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOUgRyIv6BU

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