Kumbali was born May 12, 2015 to Hatari and Khari, a pair of
cheetahs at the Richmond Zoo. Kumbali was the runt of a litter of three. His
siblings were thriving, but Kumbali was losing weight. So the zoo decided to
hand raise him. The original plan was to reintroduce Kumbali to his family when
his health was restored, but they wanted nothing to do with him. The poor
cheetah cub began to show signs of anxiety. So the zoo got him a puppy: Kago, a
rescued male yellow Lab mix. The practice of using dogs as companions for
cheetahs has been going on for thirty years, beginning with the San Diego Zoo. It’s
a relationship that would never happen in the wild, but it was exactly what the
nervous cheetah needed. Kumbali and Kago are adorable together. You can follow
this odd couple online at http://metrorichmondzoo.com or you can visit them in person. Bring a camera.
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