Most female leopards give birth to three or four cubs. But sadly, if there is only one cub, they will not produce enough milk for the kittens to survive. Therefore, zoos and animal sanctuaries will often raise these cheetah cubs to give them a chance to live.
However, cheetah cubs are usually very shy, so they need a lot of support to grow up strong and confident. Some zoos accept puppies to keep with cheetahs and as companions for them. The cheetahs consider the pups like siblings and can learn from them. That’s how Rozi and Daisy found each other.
Friends hardly know each other
The Oregon Wildlife Zoo has a pregnant cheetah that gave birth to only one cub. The staff decided to send the cheetah cubs to the Cincinnati Zoo because they had experience raising cubs from such situations. A few years ago, they captured a cheetah named Kris with a similar story.
The zoo has named the new leopard Rozi (pronounced Rosie). The name Rozi means flower in Swahili. Rozi is about two months old, and she’s still a bit reserved like most cheetahs. So the zoo adopted a puppy for her like they did for Kris when she was a cub.
An adorable black dog named Daisy is Rozi’s new friend. Daisy and her five mates were in Animal Rescue Fund, Inc., so the zoo decided to donate a home to a puppy in need. Daisy is about a month older than Rozi, so she has more energy than her cat companion. However, the zoo says it usually takes time for cheetahs and dogs to feel comfortable around each other anyway.
“At the moment, Daisy has more energy than Rozi, so play sessions have to be shorter until Rozi has more energy to fight Daisy. The age difference is about a month so this is understandable. Play sessions will get longer and longer as they begin to get to know each other better and eventually they will spend all their time together. Things are looking good for these future nimble friends,” wrote the Cincinnati Zoo on Facebook.
Grow together
Daisy and Rozi’s first interaction didn’t go perfectly. The feline seemed nervous when she saw her energetic companion. Daisy keeps trying to play with Rozi, but Rozi keeps backing away and making lovely cheetah sounds. Fortunately, the zoo’s staff is not worried because friendships like this take time to develop.
After a few more interactions, Rozi and Daisy feel more comfortable around each other. Rozi is still a little scared, but she’s slowly learning from Daisy’s outgoing demeanor.
“Cheetah cub Rozi meets his puppy companion Daisy for the first time. You don’t always fall in love at first sight in these initial introductions, so things work out slowly over time. There will be more play sessions to help the two get to know each other. In the end, cheetahs will treat the pups as siblings,” the zoo wrote.
Although Rozi and Daisy are still getting to know each other, they are already the cutest duo! If you want to see updates on their interactions, you can follow Cincinnati Zoo on Facebook!
Watch Rozi and Daisy’s first meeting:
Featured pictures: Facebook
