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Orphaned cheetah cubs form special bond

Shauna Steigerwald

The Cincinnati Enquirer

Donni was born February 25, 2016, at the Wildlife Safari in Oregon. He came to Cincinnati after his mother failed to produce enough milk for him.

CINCINNATI -- Three premature cheetah cubs at the Cincinnati Zoo met another orphaned cheetah cub from Oregon, and instantly became friends earlier this month.

The sweet meeting took place on earlier this month, after the tiny cub was unable to receive care from his mother at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore. He was born there just 12 days before the Cincinnati Zoo delivered five cubs via a rare C-section at Mast Farm, its regional cheetah breeding facility in Clermont County, on March 8.

Officials from Wildlife Safari and the Cincinnati Zoo agreed that it would benefit the lone cub to join the Cincinnati cubs and Blakely, the nursery dog/nanny.

“Socialization and companionship, ideally with other cheetahs, is important at this age," Christina Gorsuch, curator of mammals at the Cincinnati Zoo, said in a news release.