TORONTO, ON, Friday, May 27, 2022: Your @TorontoZooChannel is excited to reveal the names of our #FlamingHotCheetahs! With almost 10,000 votes cast, it was a relatively close race, but the winning group was Toulouse, Berlioz and Marie – named after the kittens in Disney’s Aristocats animated film! A big thank you to everyone who participated! We love including the community in special moments at your Toronto Zoo.

The cubs were born January 24, 2022 to first-time mom Emarah, a 4.5 year old cheetah. Now four-months-old, they currently weigh 9.9kg, 8.8kg, and 7.9kg and continue to get stronger and more adventurous each day. They have received their vaccines, and their outdoor habitat has been thoroughly baby-proofed by our Wildlife Care staff to ensure their adventurous nature is safe as they begin to explore their outdoor space. Wondering when you will be able to see these fluffy cubs in person? Should be VERY soon! Follow us on social media for updates about when they will be viewable in their outdoor habitat!

Mother, Emarah, was part of the last cheetah litter born at the Toronto Zoo in April, 2017. Her brothers and sister have moved to other accredited zoos as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Emarah and her cubs are important contributors to the Cheetah SSP as their genes are not widespread in cheetah populations in accredited Zoos. The SSP makes recommendations to best manage the cheetahs in human care, and Berlioz, Marie and Toulouse will also now contribute to supporting the preservation and protection of cheetahs for future generations.

In addition to conservation research, the Toronto Zoo team supports cheetahs in the wild through partnerships with the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Cheetah populations in the wild are declining rapidly, with estimates putting the world population at somewhere around 7000. The primary threats to cheetahs in the wild are the poaching of cheetah cubs to meet demand for illegal pets and human wildlife conflict. You can support Emarah and other threatened cheetahs in the wild by making a donation to the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy, or through the Adopt an Animal program cheetah package.

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