Five cheetah cubs to be unveiled at Monarto Zoo, as Zoos SA celebrates record visitor numbers

MONARTO Zoo’s five adorable cheetah cubs will make their public debut in time for the school holidays

Cheetah cubs at Monarto Zoo go on display to the public. Picture: Adrian Mann

• Thar she goes: Whale mum takes calf on SA tour

FIVE cheetah cubs will be unveiled to the public at Monarto Zoo on Wednesday, just in time to celebrate the zoo’s record-breaking visitor numbers.

A total of 585,872 people visited Adelaide and Monarto zoos in 2016-17, the largest turnout in Adelaide Zoo’s 134-year history.

The figures exceed the previous record of 582,697 visitors when giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni arrived in Adelaide in 2009.

Zoos SA chief executive Elaine Bensted credited the visitor numbers to recent births at the zoos.

“These fantastic results were thanks to a string of special animal births, including giraffe calves at Monarto Zoo, as well as an exciting calendar of events at both sites, including Dinosaurs Alive at Adelaide Zoo, a giant animatronic dinosaur exhibition,” she said.

“Now with the cubs on public display and with heaps of other adorable babies for visitors to meet, we’re expecting lots of visitors this school holidays.”

The cheetah cubs, born in March, have spent their first few months in a private den bonding with their mum, Kesho.

They now weigh 7kg each and Ms Bensted said they were also very adventurous.

Monarto Zoo is yet to name them.