Bingwa the cheetah from the St. Louis Zoo recently gave birth to an incredible litter of 8 cubs, which is a Guinness record! Bingwa means “champion” in Swahili, so it seems that this feline was destined to be a winner.
This is the first time a cheetah gives birth to an 8-pup litter in a zoo – previously, the biggest litters were 3-4 cubs. The zoo says that Bingwa is great with her pups, and quickly adapted to the new situation. Bingwa is actually loaned from the Wildlife Safari in Winston, with the father, Jason (9), being loaned from the White Oak Reservation from Yulee.
Bingwa’s record-breaking litter is very important, and it’s not just about the record. Cheetahs are quickly becoming an extinct animal, with only about 7000 of them remaining in the wild. Experts think that more than 50% of these cats will be gone in the next 15 years, so Bingwa’s cubs mean a lot for this nearly endangered species.
Take a look at the new mom and her cute cubs below:
