CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- You have heard of a baby boom. Well, the Metro Richmond Zoo is experiencing a cub kaboom.
Zoo officials announced that 19 cheetah cubs, from six different litters, have been born at the zoo so far in 2022. It's the most cubs born in a single year in zoo’s history, officials stated.
"The cubs were born at the zoo’s Cheetah Conservation Center," a zoo spokesperson wrote in an email about the cheetah cub births. "[The center is] a private specialized area with 19 habitats dedicated solely to the protection of cheetahs. The center is on zoo grounds but not open for the public."
The cubs were born in March, June, July, and August to cheetah moms Khari, Naya, Vaila, Rey, Zola, and Wiay.
Zoo officials called cheetahs Africa's most endangered big cat and said the wild cheetah population has decreased 93% in the last 120 years.
Nearly 100 cheetahs have been born at the Metro Richmond Zoo since 2013.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
