THE newest arrival at Taronga Western Plains Zoo (TWPZ) has her keepers working around the clock.
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Born on October 17, the zoo's second cheetah cub for the year is being hand-raised, after she was rejected by first-time mother Kyan. The second cub in the litter was stillborn.
With singleton cubs often rejected by their mothers, keepers monitored mum and bub closely.
"We were watching Kyan closely when we knew there was only one cub and eventually decided to intervene to give the cub the best chance of survival," keeper Jordan Michelmore said.
The cub is now receiving round-the-clock care, with a team of keepers staying at the zoo overnight and feeding her five times a day.
She weighed in at a healthy 1.7 kilograms at her most recent health check, and Ms Michelmore said the cub is growing in strength, and starting to chase balls and stalk play toys.
This is the second cheetah cub to be hand-raised at the zoo this year, with female cub Siri also rejected by her mother.
Siri made headlines earlier this year as the first cheetah cub in Australia to be introduced to a companion dog: Iris the retriever cross mastiff puppy.
The pair has since formed a strong bond, and keepers hope a similar bond will develop between Iris and the second cub following a controlled introduction between the two.
"Iris has such a placid nature," Ms Michelmore said.
"When she was introduced to the new cub she simply laid down and rolled on her back while the cub sniffed and explored her new friend."
These introductions will increase under the watchful eye of keepers, with the long term goal of introducing the two female cubs.
"Cheetahs are classified as vulnerable, so every birth is important," cheetah supervisor Jennifer Conaghan said.
"Although hand-raising can be challenging, this cub and Siri may one day have very important roles to play for their species as part of the regional breeding program."