The song at the beginning of this cheetah video shows what it would sound like if Barry White got involved in saving wildlife. Here’s a cool video from VICE about breeding cheetahs (Acinonyx jubata), and I hope they’re breeding them for release. I still get queasy about saving a species by keeping it permanently in captivity—especially a species in which individuals are evolved to lope and run.
What they do here is determine which male a female likes by exposing her to urine samples from diverse males. That will facilitate pairings that produce cubs. Note that they collect the urine by putting a cologne—Calvin Klein’s “Obsession” (LOL)—on a urine-catching receptacle. Also note the female’s flehmen response, which you may have seen in your own cat.
The YouTube video:
The global cheetah population has plummeted over the last century. While zoo programs have made captive breeding a focus of their conservation efforts for endangered species, successful mating is a tricky dance. But inventive research has found that it may only take a few sterile gauzes soaked in urine to find that special someone to share the dance floor with.
h/t: Amy
They should have tried this with tigers in the UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47170454 Very sadly, that was only the first of two deaths of rare tigers in captivity in the UK in the space of a week: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47230677
Very interesting. Also tells us it is not a good idea to wear this perfume if you are out in field looking for cheetahs.
Well, you’d 5 find them very quickly – or rather, they’d find you!
Well, you’d find them very quickly – or rather, they’d find you….
🐾🐾
Sub not working?
Seem to be some problems – I’m not sure how my dodgy ‘Anonymous’ post (above) got there.
Now comments ARE coming through, but I never actually got the “subscribe” page??
Looks like something’s not working – not sure how my ‘Anonymous’ comment (above) got through.
“Let’s go see if we can get some urine.”
I’m gonna have that translated to the Latin and use it as a family motto.
I find the phrase ominous. A doctor may say (or think) it when he doubts that a patient’s kidneys are functioning.
invenimus defricatus urina
Thank you! Now to design a coat of arms…
Gules, a chevron argent between three chamberpots.
Thank you! Now to design the coat of arms…
Trying to sub again
Let’s hope the cheetahs can get it on.
Couldn’t resist!
URine luck! We have a match! p-Harmony to the rescue! 🙂
hahaha!!!!
I am not sure that cheetahs have ever been successfully re-introduced in the wild from captive bred animals – ? It seems it is very difficult to teach hunting without the exposure to it the mother gives in the wild…
You will find answers here:
https://www.runningwildconservation.org/single-post/2015/11/24/Reproduce-rewild-reintroduce-captive-bred-cheetah