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Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve has welcomed
three cheetah cubs to be introduced into the reserve.
The cubs arrived at the reserve on the 22 April
2007 and they were just 4 days old .We got the cheetahs form a
breeder in Kirkwood, north
from Port Elizabeth.
Until know these cheetahs have been keeping me on
my toes.
We have got 2 males and one female, the males are
named Duma & Ikwezi and the female – Ingwe When we just got them I
had to feed them a special milk formula every 2 hours, right though
the night as well. A few weeks went by and the cheetah grew a little
bigger and the feeding times changes to every 3 hours, then to 4
hours.
After each meal their tummies also needed to be
stroked with a ball of cotton wool. In the wild, cheetah moms lick
their cub’s stomachs for stimulation and to get them to urinate. The
cubs have also started to eat chicken and will be going onto red
meat soon.
I am the cheetah’s adoptive mom and having these
cheetahs is like having children. They need just as much love and
attention as any baby or child and it has been an experience which I
will never forget.
Cheetahs have semi non retractable claws and I
have learnt to wear gloves while feeding them their bottle of milk
to avoid being scratched, as they like to hold the bottle themselves
sometimes.
The cubs were handled carefully and hygienically
because they are susceptible to infections. Anyone who handled them
had to first rub a hygienic lotion over the hands. Everybody
secretes salt on our body, and if the cheetah had to lick 2 to 3 of
us, it would be enough salt to give them a runny tummy, and we tried
to prevent them form licking us and other guest.
Surrogate Mother – Yolande Burdett
Herewith a few facts on Cheetahs:
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Cheetah top speed they can run at is between 90-112 kilometres per
hour.
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The word cheetah comes form the Hindi Language which means spotted
one.
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The dark tear mark on the cheetah face enhances the visual acuity by
minimizing the suns glare.
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The cheetah accelerates from 0-110 km per hour in 3 seconds
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Average weight of a cheetah is 40-65 kilograms
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The natural enemies of the cheetahs are Hyenas, Baboons, Lion & the
Leopard
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The average litter size are between 3-5 cubs
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The success rate of a cheetah cubs in the wild is only 10 %
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Cubs are fully weaned at the age of 3 months
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Cheetahs primary hunt in the early mornings or late afternoons
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The life expectancy of a cheetahs is 12 years
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