Montpellier Zoo announces birth of four female cheetah cubs

Four female southern African cheetah cubs were born on September 12 at the Lunaret Zoo in Montpellier, France. The birth is considered a significant event for the conservation of the threatened species, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies as vulnerable, with fewer than 7,500 individuals remaining in the wild.

The mother, Bastet, was born at the Montpellier facility in 2018. She was paired with a male cheetah through the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). This marks the eighth viable litter recorded at the zoo since 2018.

Veterinary staff have confirmed that the cubs have passed their most critical developmental phase. Each cub currently weighs slightly over two kilograms. Due to ongoing infrastructure renovations, the zoo remains closed to the public, and the cubs are being monitored closely by animal care teams behind closed doors.