Puppy and cheetah cub make unlikely pair of step-siblings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVKE-K2H9VE

The playful pair of Rozi the Cheetah Cub and Ziggy The mixture of Labrador-Kelpie-Collie show that brothers’ connections can transcend the limits of the species.

Rozi was born at the end of February at the Western Plains zoo in Dubbo, Australia, by an emergency cesarean after her mother, Siri, was launched early.

Siri never produced milk, and because Rozi was seriously ill during the first weeks of her life, the mother and the daughter had to be separated.

The two brothers and sisters of Rozi were dead, therefore as the only surviving bear, she faced the prospect of at least 18 months in isolation, leaving her poorly equipped to join the zoo farm program.

Zoo’s guards decided that if Rozi was going to develop and socialize normally, giving him the best chances of successfully reproducing, she would need a brother-in-law.

Ten years ago, Rozi’s mother had a dog as a companion, and the puppies were also successfully twinned with small cheetahs in the United States, explains Jordan Michelmore, Guépard Guépard at Dubbo.

A domestic kitten would not have been adapted, she said, because Rozi’s game companion should be difficult enough to hold on with the cheetah for at least a year.

“Dogs have a little more resilience and a little more energy, and they have this size which corresponds more closely to the cheetah as it grows,” explains Michelmore.

When the two were about 2 months old, Ziggy and Rozi were carefully introduced into each other. Ziggy, who had to be carefully quarantined and vaccinated, was initially maintained in advance. But after two weeks, the two played freely and even slept together.

“They associate so well with their energy level, the type of game they make and their size,” explains Michelmore. “Dopyness, the lightness and relaxation of a puppy seem to be well enough to match Rozi for this stage of life.”

At around 12 to 18 months old, cheetahs become lonely, looking for their own space. It was at this point that the guards expect Ziggy should be separated and adopted in a new house.

“We are just going to take our bearings, and when she will start not really spending so much time with him, then we can start removing it,” explains Michelmore.

However, she also plans to adopt Ziggy, which means that he and Rozi will be more likely to stay in touch. She says that some zoos in the United States have discovered that the cheetahs and their adopted brothers and sisters can remain close to adulthood.

She describes Ziggy as a “boring big brother”. “But the joy we see in his body when he returns in his courtyard is just palpable,” she said.

“I also hope that Ziggy will also be a very well balanced dog. He has the most unconventional education that a puppy could have. “