Ah, the cheetah: the fastest animal in the world that can speed up to an incredible 75 miles per hour while rocking the most gorgeous fur coat you've ever seen.
When you think of safari, you think of cheetahs. When you think of large cats, you think of cheetahs. But over the years, when you think of endangered species, you also might think of cheetahs.
It's true that the population of cheetahs that was once massive within Africa and Asia has drastically shrunk, so it's important for us to do everything in our power to help protect the ones that are left — just like the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia did when this mama cheetah was giving birth to five cubs!
On March 18, 2016, the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio did something that is definitely out of the ordinary. One of the zoo's cheetahs, named Willow, was pregnant, and so the on-site veterinarians checked her status to see that everything was going well before going into labor.
Because the team noticed some abnormalities that could lead to complications during birth, they decided to play it safe and take the mama cheetah in for a C-section.
The vets put William under sedation shortly after their decision was made, then started to work on delivering the babies — and fast. They soon realized that once one baby was delivered, the others followed shortly after, so the team thought quickly on their feet and formed an assembly line to get each one of them safety out of the womb.
Unfortunately, just a few weeks after the C-section, Willow passed away from being lethargic and losing her appetite post-pregnancy, and over the next few months, so did two of her cubs. However, Thanye Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, emphasized that the C-section still saved the three cubs' lives.
He said: “Willow was able to contribute to the survival of her species by producing five cheetah cubs. Without the C-section, we likely would have lost both the mom and the cubs."
Watch the video below to see the miraculous deed yourself. Are you impressed by these fast-thinking vets and their passion to keep this endangered species safe? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE this with your family and friends on Facebook!
