Zoos around the World are Raising Cheetah kittens with puppy companions to help the cheetahs deal with excess energy, learn social cues, and combat stress.
Raising puppies and cheetah kittens together helps refocus the big cats’ nervous energy, zoos have discovered.
Take best friends Kumbali the cheetah and Kago the yellow Labrador Retriever. The duo came to be after kitten Kumbali, at the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia, wasn’t thriving in her mother’s care. Mama cat had a litter of three and faulty nipples that weren’t releasing enough milk to go around. So zookeepers had to take over.
