Four new Northern cheetah cubs have been born at Fota Wildlife Park, in Cork, and a public competition has been launched to name them.
Northern cheetahs are a sub species which is considered endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature. There are less than 700 Northern cheetahs left in the wild.
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Members of the public can submit a name for the cubs via an online form on the park’s website and each entrant will be in with a chance to win one of four annual passes to Fota Wildlife Park.
Head ranger, Julien Fonteneau, said the new cubs, born to mother Gráinne and father Sam, are thriving.
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“It is lovely to see them develop and to watch them explore their leafy habitat on Cheetah Hill. The cheetahs enjoy being outside and have just started to join their mum during feeding where they love to pull and lick the food,” he said.
Over 240 cheetah cubs have been born through breeding programmes at Fota Wildlife Park since it opened 40 years ago.
