POWELL, Ohio -- Two cheetah cubs have been born through in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer into a surrogate mother at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
The zoo announced the "groundbreaking scientific breakthrough" Monday morning.
The cubs, one male and one female, were delivered on Wednesday, February 19 at 9:50 p.m. and 10:20 p.m. by Isabelle (Izzy). Izzy, a first-time mom, has been providing great care to her cubs at this time.
The two cubs’ biological mother is Kibibi.
The Columbus Zoo partnered with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Va., and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas — three institutions with a commitment to conservation.