Basel Zoo welcomes six healthy cheetah cubs

Six cheetah cubs have been born at Basel Zoo, SRF reported. The litter consists of four males and two females, and all six are healthy.

The cubs were born on June 5 and are now fully visible to visitors in their enclosure, according to a statement from the zoo. Because 2026 is the year of the letter X for naming animals at Basel Zoo, they have been named Xeros, Xolobeni, Xeric, Ximba, Xhosa and Xenia.

The cubs are the first offspring of their four-year-old mother, Malaika, who came to Basel Zoo from Stuttgart in 2024. During a veterinary examination a few days ago, all six were vaccinated, the zoo said.

Cheetahs are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Fewer than 7,000 adult cheetahs are estimated to remain in the wild, and the population continues to decline. Zoos aim to help maintain a genetically healthy reserve population through a conservation breeding programme, according to the statement.