The National Zoo Just Welcomed Adorable Cheetah Cubs — And You Can Watch Them Grow Up!

The birth of the four cubs marks "an exciting, full-circle moment" for their mother Amabala as well as the zoo's conservation facility.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute welcomed four new cheetah cubs last month amid the government shutdown and they appear to be doing just fine with their mother Amabala.

The National Zoo — in a press release shared Saturday — celebrated the birth of the cubs on Oct. 17 and 18, noting that the young cats seem to be “strong, active, vocal and eating well” at its conservation facility in Front Royal, Virginia.

The arrival of the babies marks the 20th litter born at the conservation facility since 2010 and the fifth litter to be born over the “Cheetah Cub Cam,” the same live camera feed that shared Amabala’s birth back in 2020.

“Cheetahs can be challenging to breed, in part because female reproductive cycles can be sporadic and their behavior is often very difficult to interpret,” said Adrienne Crosier, a carnivore biologist who leads the cheetah species survival plan at the conservation facility.

“It’s taken our team of keepers, veterinary staff and biologists thousands of man-hours to produce 20 litters. For that 20th litter to be Amabala’s is an exciting, full-circle moment for us.”