If you need something wholesome to get you through today (and who doesn’t), the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden introduced its members and followers to a companion for the zoo’s new cheetah cub, Rozi—an adorable puppy named Daisy.
“The votes are in! Say hello to Daisy!” the Ohio zoo soon wrote on Facebook over the weekend. “She will be Rozi’s puppy companion. They will be introduced soon.” The zoo welcomed Rozi in May of this year, sharing a sweet video on social media to introduce her to everyone and melt hearts in the process.
In the video, Rozi walks toward the camera and gives a little purr. “Say hello to our newest cheetah ambassador! Radiographs prior to the cub’s birth revealed that the mom, who lives at Wildlife Safari in Oregon, was carrying a single cub,” the Cincinnati Zoo wrote. “When a single cub is born, the mom will not produce enough milk for it to survive. Knowing that the cub would need to be hand-reared, the cheetah Species Survival Plan (SSP) identified Cincinnati Zoo as the best place for this cub to be raised.”
The zoo, which is where the now-viral Fiona the hippo also resides, adopted Daisy from Animal Rescue Fund, Inc. and said her “5-liter mates are available for adoption if you’re looking for a puppy.” The zoo also explained on its website that “canine companionship provides play and socialization opportunities that humans cannot.”
“Our neonate team will be caring for the female, four-week-old cub behind the scenes, but you can keep up with her progress right here,” the zoo added, noting that it will continue to share videos and updates as she grows. “Once the cub is older, she will be a part of our Cat Ambassador Program (CAP) and join our other running cheetah ambassadors in the Cheetah Encounter.”
They have kept their word, sharing an adorable video of Rozi eating meat for the first time. The zoo said most of her calories will come from milk, but she will also be given meat daily (which she seems particularly fond of based on the video).
We can’t wait to see this friendship develop.
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