Behind the Scenes: A Health Check For Our Cheetahs

When you visit Sydney Zoo and see our cheetahs exploring their habitat, it can be easy to forget just how much work goes on behind the scenes to keep them happy, healthy and thriving.

Recently, three of our young cheetahs underwent a comprehensive veterinary health check, giving our Veterinary Services and animal care teams the opportunity to get a detailed picture of their health and establish important baseline information for the future.

And while a routine health check might sound simple, checking three cheetahs is no small undertaking!

Keeping our cheetahs healthy

At Sydney Zoo, preventative healthcare is an important part of caring for our animals.

Depending on the animal and their individual needs, comprehensive health checks may take place annually or every few years. These checks allow our veterinary team to monitor an animal's health over time and identify potential issues before they become bigger problems.

For our three young cheetahs, the team carried out a complete health assessment, including radiographs and bloodwork.

Establishing a healthy baseline is particularly valuable as the cheetahs grow older. By having detailed records of their health now, our veterinary team can compare future results and quickly identify any changes that may require attention.

Three cheetahs, one very busy veterinary team

An important part of the process was safely anaesthetising all three cheetahs.

Large carnivores require careful planning and coordination whenever veterinary procedures are carried out. The team needed to safely anaesthetise each cheetah, complete their examinations and testing, and then carefully monitor them throughout their recovery.

The cheetahs were hand-injected one after another, with the veterinary and animal care teams working closely together throughout the procedure.

Once each cheetah was safely under anaesthesia, the team could carry out the necessary examinations and testing.

It was a carefully coordinated process, with multiple members of the team monitoring the animals, assisting with moving them and making sure each cheetah remained safe and comfortable.

Months of training made all the difference

One of the most important parts of this successful health check actually happened long before the veterinary team arrived.

The cheetahs had undergone months of conditioning and training with their keepers.
This type of positive reinforcement training helps our animals become comfortable with different behaviours, people and procedures, making veterinary care safer and less stressful for everyone involved.

Because the cheetahs had been conditioned to cooperate with their keepers, the team was able to work with them much more effectively during the health check.

It's a great example of how the relationship between our animal care teams and the animals they look after extends well beyond feeding and daily care.

Bringing the veterinary hospital to them

Another important part of the operation was the use of Sydney Zoo's mobile hospital setup.

Rather than needing to move the cheetahs long distances, the veterinary team was able to bring the equipment and facilities directly to them.

This helped the team efficiently move between each animal while providing a controlled environment for the procedures.  With three cheetahs being assessed one after another, having everything set up and ready to go was essential.

A true team effort

A procedure like this takes a huge amount of coordination.

Veterinarians, animal keepers and other members of the Sydney Zoo team all had important roles to play, from preparing the animals and equipment, to monitoring them during the procedure and ensuring they recovered safely afterwards.

The result was a carefully planned and coordinated health check that provided our veterinary team with valuable information about the three young cheetahs.

And while visitors might only see these incredible animals enjoying their habitat, there's a whole team working behind the scenes to make sure they can continue doing exactly that.

Caring for animals, every day

Animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do at Sydney Zoo.

From daily care and enrichment to training, preventative medicine and comprehensive veterinary assessments, our teams work together to give every animal the best possible care.

This cheetah health check is just one example of the incredible work that happens behind the scenes, and a reminder that caring for wildlife is about much more than what happens when the zoo gates are open.

Want to see our cheetahs for yourself? Come and visit Sydney Zoo and see these incredible animals in action. 🐆