KUALA LUMPUR: WHEN Zoo Negara welcomed the birth of its new Southeast African cheetah in July last year, they did not expect anything out of the ordinary.
The cub was the sole survivor from a litter of four. Its siblings died not long after. His handlers decided to name the hardy cub “Bolt”, after the world’s fastest man, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
However, it soon became clear to Zoo Negara staff that Bolt was no ordinary cheetah. As it matured, it began developing a rare and unique fur pattern.
The pattern on the cream-coloured fur is marked with large, blotchy spots and dark, wide stripes extending from the neck to the tail.
Such fur patterns are known to exist in only some 30 cheetahs around the world, with Bolt being one of them. Cheetahs with this extremely rare mutation are known as “King Cheetah”.
Zookeeper Umar Ashraf, 32, said Bolt was conceived when his mother, Tianna, was still in South Africa, the species’ country of origin.
Tianna, he said, was among the more popular female cheetahs and had many suitors.
“Tianna, 5, along with her partner, Tyson, 6, was part of an animal transfer programme between Zoo Negara and a conservation centre in South Africa. They arrived in Malaysia in February last year,” he told the New Straits Times.
When Tianna arrived in Malaysia, Zoo Negara staff were unaware that she was pregnant.
Umar, however, said that Bolt was not the result of a union between his mother and Tyson. Tianna had apparently mated with another male prior to the exchange programme.
This, he said, meant that Bolt could not get along with Tyson.
“Tyson, meanwhile, had fathered six cubs with Tianna in Malaysia in June. Only two survived, and we named them Flash and Dash.
“This is why they live in separate enclosures.”
Umar said that the animal kingdom is rife with politics and intrigue.
“There’s a lot of drama in the animal kingdom. As zookeepers, we must keep abreast of what’s happening so we can take precautionary measures and prevent any conflict among them which could lead to serious injuries and even death.”
Flash and Dash were named by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Umar added that Zoo Negara staff were now waiting with bated breath to see if Flash and Dash could develop signs which would make them King Cheetah too.
“It is possible that they could end up developing the rare fur pattern. However, it is still too early to say.”
Umar said due to their nature, cheetahs need a large space for them to remain active and run around.
“It brings back the question of the size of the display area. We want to prevent overcrowding, which could lead to the animals suffering stress.
“Zoos would from time to time review this to ensure that there is sufficient roaming area for different wildlife species in accordance with the law,” he said.
As we continued to observe Bolt, another zookeeper, Muhammad Azman Fikri Abdull Raman, 23, called out Bolt’s name and caught his attention.
“We haven’t been in direct contact with him (Bolt) for a while, so it would be dangerous to make an attempt now.
“Instead, we would sometimes play with him by running alongside the fence as he outruns us. Bolt likes that,” said Umar.
Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animals and have been known to reach a top speed of 113km per hour.
The Southeast African cheetah is the nominate cheetah subspecies native to countries such as Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Female cheetahs reach maturity between the age of 20 and 24 months while the males reach maturity at the age of 12 months.