The Smithsonian now has seven new cheetah cubs.
The cubs were born July 9 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, the organization announced Monday.
This is the first litter with first-time parents, Erin and Rico, according to a statement from the institute. This litter also marks the third generation of cheetahs born at the Institute, as two grandparents of the cubs still live there.
The Institute said that zookeepers are watching the two-week-old cubs closely in their den to make sure they are developing normally. There are plans for the cubs to eventually move to other zoos and facilities.
Cheetahs are listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with about 7,000 cheetahs living in the wild.
The Institute is open to the public on just one day a year: Conservation Discovery Day. This year, the day is scheduled for October 6.
