This Endangered Species Day we’re celebrating cheetah, a charmingly clever cat and unfortunately, the most endangered in Africa.
Under the watchful eyes of our Carnivore Keepers our cheetah sisters, Qia and Quartz have been patrolling the zoo before opening hours, learning about all of the new sights, smells, and sounds the wider zoo grounds – and their animal inhabitants – have to offer.
Did you know that cheetah have lost 95% of their historic homelands and as a result of this and hunting for fur, their population has declined over 50% in the last 43 years?
Our cheetah girls are ambassador animals for their wild cousins and as keeper Emma explains, these walks have been progressing so well that eventually we will be welcoming guests to walk with them as a special behind-the-scenes experience! A portion of every zoo ticket sold goes to support our conservation partners, like Cheetah Outreach, who protect and save wild cheetah in South Africa.
If you care for cheetah and all endangered wildlife, pay us a visit or donate to our Conservation Fund – every little bit helps us to save threatened species in New Zealand and abroad.
