Sukiri, a seven-year-old cheetah, gave birth to a litter of three cubs on September 16. One was stillborn, and another died soon afterward. Cheetah mothers do not get enough stimulation from one cub to continue producing milk, so Sukiri abandoned the third cub the next day. The animal care staff took the cub into the veterinary clinic at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), where he was fed around the clock.
In an update a week later, we learn the cub is doing well. His eyes and ears have opened right on schedule, and he sleeps with a stuffed animal that has a simulated heartbeat. Zookeepers don't want the cub to bond with humans, but they perform all the necessary functions a mother cheetah would to keep him fed and stimulated. The plan is to take the cub to another zoo where a cheetah is expected to give birth soon. If all goes well, he can be incorporated into her litter.