Endangered cheetah gives birth to three cubs in Djibouti

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2006

DJIBOUTI (AFP) — Three cubs have been born in captivity in Djibouti to a highly endangered cheetah sub-species native to the Horn and west Africa regions, conservationists have said.

The cubs, which were born on the night of June 12, are a result of a reproduction programme by a French conservation group known as Discover and Help Nature (DECAN).

"The cheetah is highly endangered by reduced genetic diversity and a fast-deteriorating habitat," DECAN's head Bertrand Lafrance said in statement.

The cheetahs, of the sub-species Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii, are being reared in semi captivity in a park near the capital after the adults were seized from poachers two years ago, after which the breeding programme was launched.

"The reproduction of this...