New Cheetahs Spotted at Naples Zoo

Reporter: John Trierweiler Photographer: Nick Culotta Producer: Annie Richards
Published: Updated:

NAPLES, Fla. – The Naples Zoo is once again home to cheetahs, as a new female pair have arrived to “retire” in Southwest Florida and be visible to people for the first time ever.

The current cats are sisters and 9 years old, born and raised just north of Jacksonville Florida at the White Oak Conservation Center where they helped support their species survival plan. The Cheetah is an endangered animal with only 7,000 to 10,000 left in the wild today, mainly due to habitat destruction and humans excessively hunting their prey.

Known for their speed, cheetah’s can reach speeds up to 70 mph or greater, however they’re considered to be sprinters and not long distance runners. Found mostly in the grassy plains and savannas in parts of Africa and Iran the Cheetah will grow to be about 7ft. in length, including their tail and weigh between 75 and 100 pounds.

The Cheetah’s at the Naples Zoo can be seen seven days a week, located at 1590 Goodlette Road in Naples.

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