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Ohio zoo celebrates first cheetah cubs born through in vitro fertilization

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two cheetah cubs were born last week at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio.

The male and female cubs were the first to be born through in vitro fertilization.

According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, cheetahs are considered vulnerable, which means their numbers are dwindling in the wild.

So conservationists have been trying to expand the gene pool of cheetahs in human care.

Biological mom Kibibi had genes that are considered valuable to maintaining a strong line of cheetahs in human care, but the zoo worried she was too old to give birth.

Another cheetah named Izzy is a few years younger, so they implanted Kibibi's eggs into her.

The cubs' biological father, named Slash, lives at a zoo in Texas.

This was the third time scientists tried the procedure, and the first time it was successful.