3 new cheetahs arrive at the Honolulu Zoo
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - There are new faces at the Honolulu Zoo.
The zoo unveiled its three new South African cheetahs Thursday ― Fawkes, Nagini and Pickett.
Their names are references to various animals featured in the Harry Potter franchise.
The three were born in July 2018, and transferred to Honolulu over the weekend from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
The zoo got the cheetahs thanks to a partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and their Species Survival Plan.
As part of the SSP’s plan, breeding facilities send the offspring to holding facilities, like the Honolulu Zoo, until a genetically viable match is found.
Once found, they will bring two animals together for breeding purposes.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the South African Cheetah as “vulnerable.”
Cheetahs are the fastest land animal over short distances, clocking a 0-60 speed (mph) in only three seconds.
The South African cheetah usually lives on savannas, grasslands or in arid desert areas.
The last cheetah to live at the Honolulu Zoo was Oringo, which died in March after suffering from health complications associated with aging.
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