Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)- Data, Pictures & Videos

[Acinonyx sp.]

A South African Cheetah Mothers Eight Cubs Including Her Daughter’s Cubs

In 2003, the first three rehabilitated cheetahs arrived at Samara: two males named Mozart and Beethoven and a female, Sibella, who had been so badly mauled by man and dogs that her leg was cut through to the bone, Sibella had been taken to a Cheetah Rehabilitation Center and when she recovered, was transported by truck to Samara. “What was amazing,” says Tompkins, “was I opened the crate to let her out, my heart was pounding so quickly – I thought, what on earth am I doing? This is a wild animal. She could turn around and attack me. What I didn’t realize then is that Sibella was way more afraid of me than I was of her.
“Sibella, was a courageous and extraordinary cat,” says Tompkins. “Her unfailing ability to raise cubs in the wild to adulthood is almost unparalleled in South Africa.” Samara, now 67,000 acres, is not only one of Africa’s most luxurious safari experiences but is also well-known for its cheetah conservation efforts since reintroducing  Sibella, who raised 19 cubs to adulthood. Today, one third of cheetahs in the metapopulation can trace their heritage to Sibella, making her one of the most prolific female cheetahs in sub-Saharan Africa.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Chilli, a daughter of Sibella’s last litter, is presently raising eight cubs on her own. The Samara Team observed and filmed two female cheetahs, both with cubs, exhibiting what is known in scientific parlance as “allo-mothering,” when young are cared for by individuals other than their biological mother. This phenomenon is commonly seen in elephant herds, lion prides and several bird species, but until now had only been hinted at in cheetahs. While male cheetahs may form coalitions of up to six individuals, female cheetahs are considered solitary except when accompanied by their own cubs.

Two female cheetahs, Chilli and Inara, a mother and daughter, were recorded meeting last year when Chilli was 8 years old and Inara 3 years old. Each was accompanied by her own litter of young cubs, born one month apart. Following an initial uncertainty, the mothers settled and the cubs played together. When they eventually moved off in opposite directions, two of Chilli’s cubs, aged 3 months old, departed with Inara and her four youngsters aged 4 months old, instead of their own mother. Over the course of a few days, the team witnessed these two cubs suckling from and being groomed by Inara.

*This image is copyright of its original author

The mothers met up again a short while later, and once more swapped cubs and suckled cubs other than their own. The mothers continued to interchange their litters for some time until one day Chilli moved into new territory, taking all the cubs with her. Inara, left alone, eventually became pregnant again and gave birth to two cubs which she has subsequently raised by herself.
Samara’s cheetah allo-mothering phenomenon is a first for the metapopulation demonstrating that cheetahs are more social animals than traditionally thought.Says Professor Graham Kerley at Nelson Mandela University, “We clearly know less than we thought about the mothering behaviors of cheetah, and this observation raises a range of questions as to why these cheetah females are taking care of cubs other than their own.”

Chilli remains in charge of all the cubs from the original litters, now just under one year old. This represents an interesting dynamic, with one adult female shouldering the extraordinary responsibility of hunting and providing for eight growing youngsters – double the typical litter size. Cheetah cubs generally become independent around 18 months once they are able to hunt, but in these unusual circumstances, they might break away sooner into smaller groups.
 “Samara’s legacy in cheetah conservation never fails to surprise and delight us,” says Tompkins. “Sibella, was a courageous and extraordinary cat whose unfailing ability to raise cubs in the wild to adulthood is almost unparalleled in South Africa. Now Chilli, daughter of her last litter, is raising eight cubs on her own, hugely important for the cheetah metapopulation.”



The mothers met up again a short while later, and once more swapped cubs and suckled cubs other than their own. The mothers continued to interchange their litters for some time until one day Chilli moved into new territory, taking all the cubs with her. Inara, left alone, eventually became pregnant again and gave birth to two cubs which she has subsequently raised by herself.
Samara’s cheetah allo-mothering phenomenon is a first for the metapopulation demonstrating that cheetahs are more social animals than traditionally thought.Says Professor Graham Kerley at Nelson Mandela University, “We clearly know less than we thought about the mothering behaviors of cheetah, and this observation raises a range of questions as to why these cheetah females are taking care of cubs other than their own.”
Chilli remains in charge of all the cubs from the original litters, now just under one year old. This represents an interesting dynamic, with one adult female shouldering the extraordinary responsibility of hunting and providing for eight growing youngsters – double the typical litter size. Cheetah cubs generally become independent around 18 months once they are able to hunt, but in these unusual circumstances, they might break away sooner into smaller groups.
 “Samara’s legacy in cheetah conservation never fails to surprise and delight us,” says Tompkins. “Sibella, was a courageous and extraordinary cat whose unfailing ability to raise cubs in the wild to adulthood is almost unparalleled in South Africa. Now Chilli, daughter of her last litter, is raising eight cubs on her own, hugely important for the cheetah metapopulation.”

*This image is copyright of its original author

https://www.forbes.com/sites/margiegoldsmith/2021/03/11/a-cheetah-in-south-africa-mothers-eight-cubs-including-her-own-daughters-cubs/?sh=7a4585c76834 Reply