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Our Cheetahs Get a New Home
You will find the brand new cheetah exhibit between the the African lion habitat and the back of the new giraffe barn.
Like our family of Masai giraffes, the cheetahs were also given a new home to make way for the next phase of the expansion of our elephant habitat. Our cheetahs, Kito and Kiburi, brought along their favorite Anatolian shepherd dog Taji to a new yard that’s just a big as the old one, with a nicely upgraded barn.
The viewing area for the cheetah exhibit is surrounded by the same realistic rockwork seen throughout The African Forest. You have a clear view of a shallow pool as well as hills and rocks that are the cheetahs’ favorite resting spots. Taji has her own private yard in the back but spends time on exhibit with one or the other of the cheetahs as well. On those hot Houston days, a mister and fan help keep the exhibit cool and comfortable.
This new exhibit also provides plenty of opportunities for our keepers to do training demonstrations and set up the lure course, which is always a favorite of guests and animals alike.
Did you know Kito, Kiburi and Taji are also animal ambassadors that leave their exhibit to make special appearance around the zoo and at events?
We raised our cheetahs from just a few days old with Taji so that they would grow up to be companions. Anatolian shepherd dogs are used in Africa to help farmers protect their livestock. The large size and intimidating bark of an Anatolian shepherd dog scares off cheetahs so farmers no longer shoot them.
Kito, Kiburi and Taji help us share the story of how a dog is helping save cats.
