In
October 2007, the National Zoo opened the new Cheetah Science Facility
at our Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia. It is
the first new research facility to be constructed on the property in 22
years.In
October 2007, the National Zoo opened the new Cheetah Science Facility
at our Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia. It is
the first new research facility to be constructed on the property in 22
years.
This nine-acre Cheetah Science Facility will be the center of the Zoo’s international cheetah research program in which scientists study cheetah biology to ensure good health, reproduction, and self-sustaining populations in zoos and in the wild.
The
facility will house 14 to 20 cheetahs in spacious, outdoor enclosures,
with indoor spaces for inclement weather. The facility also will
include an animal-care building to house animal keepers and researchers
and allow them to observe, manage, and care for the animals.
The Zoo has been a leader in cheetah conservation efforts both in Africa and in North American zoos for the last 30 years. Currently, Zoo reproductive scientists are developing sperm and embryo technologies to transfer cheetah genetic material between cats in Africa and North America, techniques that someday could be useful for moving genes between isolated wild populations.
In addition, the new facility will allow more collaboration between scientists in the United States and Namibia. National Zoo veterinarians are testing new anesthetic and veterinary protocols to help local biologists in Namibia more safely and effectively study the animals in the wild. The new facility also will be used as a hub for training African biologists, helping to create the next generation of conservationists ready to serve and protect Africa’s unique biodiversity.