Smithsonian Name Cheetah Cubs

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: February 24, 2022 5:51 pm

Kushoma one of the cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute. His name was selected by a generous donor. Kushoma means rare in Shona, which is the language spoken in Zimbabwe.

Photo Credit: Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute

The Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute have announced names for their five cheetah cubs. They have been named 3D, Kushoma, Zura, Kuba and Kuki!

Two of the cubs were named by generous donors who support the work of the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute. 3D was named for the creative, unconventional and mischievous spirit the donors saw in the cubs. Kushoma means rare in Shona, a language spoken in Zimbabwe.

Keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have also selected names for two of the cubs from the Shona language. These are Zura meaning sun and Kuba meaning stealthy.

The final cub was named by the keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. She is known as Kuki, meaning cookie in Swahili. Her name was inspired by suggestions from elementary school classes.

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These five cubs were the stars of cheetah cam from the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute following their birth in October 2021 to mother Rosalie.

Recently the cubs have begun to voluntarily step on to a set of scales which will allow keepers to continue tracking their weight now that they are too big to handle.

Training is continuing with the cubs so that they will voluntarily receive flea and tick treatments and vaccinations.

The conservation biology institute have also announced that recently all of their adult cheetahs have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The cubs are too young to be vaccinated but will receive this as part of their 1 year vaccinations in October 2022.

Learn more about Cheetahs here - Cheetah Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute on their website – Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute

Kuki, which means cookie in Swahili is one of the cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian's National Biology Institute. She was named by her keepers.

Photo Credit: Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute