In a video posted on Facebook by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, a cheetah cub and a dog are seen cuddling and appear to be very attached to one another. So much so that Kris is even licking Remus clean, the way cats (and big cats like cheetahs) do for their young or their kin.
While they may seem like an unusual pair, they actually have a lot in common. According to Fox News, Kris the cheetah cub was the sole survivor amongst her siblings. Remus, too, was a rescue puppy and didn’t have family around him at the zoo.
As a solution to their loneliness, the zoo authorities decided to introduce them to each other and clearly, it has worked out beautifully.
The zoo’s programme has reportedly paired dogs and cheetahs together from time to time. The dog acts as both a teacher and a playmate to the cub in ways that humans cannot, said Cincinnati Zoo lead trainer Linda Castaneda.
Cheetah cubs will learn to listen to their human trainers and do simple tasks like drinking from a water bowl by watching the puppy. Castaneda also said that Kris and Remus are the sixth successful cheetah-dog pair at the zoo.
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