GOSHEN—The Leo Zoological Conservation Center brought one of their cheetahs to a fundraiser for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Goshen on May 14, an international organization that tries to preserve the species in the wild. Cheetahs are the most threatened cat in Africa with less than 7,000 in the wild. Through research and a series of programs meant to help these animals co-exist with humans, CCF works on preserving their habitat so they can continue to reproduce naturally. The Leo Zoo breeds them in captivity so zoos that want to have cheetahs as part of their collection do not have to take them from the wild.
Adaeze, a 2-year-old cheetah that lives at Leo Zoological Conservation Center in Greenwich Connecticut. Adaeze attended a fundraiser for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Goshen on May 14, 2016. Adaeze's mother is the only king cheetah in the Americas, which means she has a recessive gene that produces an unusual pattern in her spots. Because genetic diversity is so rare in cheetahs, having that genetic mutation is valuable for breeding. If Adaeze were to mate with a male that has the recessive gene, their offspring could be a king cheetah. Holly Kellum/Epoch Times
