Rare Cheetah Quintuplets Thrive Despite Storms and Mother’s Illness at Prague Zoo

A rare litter of five cheetah cubs is recovering well at the Prague Zoo, having overcome significant challenges including severe weather and their mother’s health issues. The quintuplets—comprising four males and one female—were born on June 18, but their early days were threatened when their mother, Daenerys, chose to give birth in an outdoor enclosure just before a storm hit Prague.

Although Daenerys was an inexperienced first-time mother, zoo officials praised her care. According to curator Pavel Brandl, she protected the infants from torrential rain by licking water from their fur, a behavior that prevented potentially fatal pneumonia. “Thanks to the mother’s attentiveness, all five cubs survived the heavy downpours,” the zoo stated in a Friday news release.

The situation worsened in August when Daenerys contracted an intestinal infection. Despite these obstacles, the cubs appeared lively and healthy during a Friday photo session. However, Brandl cautioned that the milestone is not yet a guarantee of long-term survival.

“At this moment, everything seems fine, but it’s still a long run,” Brandl said. He noted that it may take up to a year before it is certain the cubs will survive the critical post-natal period.

Brandl expressed continued amazement at Daenerys’s maternal instincts, revealing that the female arrived from France several years ago in poor physical and mental condition. At the time of her arrival, he believed she would never produce offspring.

The survival of these cubs is particularly significant for conservation efforts. Cheetahs, the world’s fastest land animals capable of reaching speeds between 70 and 75 mph, are threatened with extinction. Estimates suggest fewer than 7,000 remain in the wild. Additionally, the zoo reported that the cheetah population in European zoos has declined by 25% since 2020.

“Every successfully reared cub is therefore both an achievement and a source of hope,” the zoo said. This birth follows other recent conservation milestones, including the rescue of 11 cheetah cubs from illegal trade in Somaliland last October.