The Cincinnati Zoo’s cheetah cub, Kris, has been paired with a rescue puppy.
The nearly 3-month-old cub pranced around pumpkins, chased balls and rolled around with her best friend, Remus, on Thursday as the zoo kicked off HallZOOween.
Zookeepers paired Kris and Remus together for companionship; Remus acts as Kris’ “surrogate sibling” so they can grow up and experience things together. The pairing is also instrumental to the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program.
Kris was born on July 7, 2019 at the zoo’s Mast Farm Breeding Center. Kris was the only surviving cub of the litter, so zoo officials decided to hand-raise her. This left Kris alone and without siblings.
Enter Remus.
Zoo officials rescued Remus from the Animal Rescue Fund. Remus was selected as a sibling for Kris because of his good nature and high energy level.
Cheetahs typically venture away from their mother and siblings when they are about two years old, so this is sometimes when the cheetah and dog separate. But ultimately the personalities of the animals dictate when they separate.
