Cincinnati Zoo's Nanny Dog Comes Out of Retirement to Care for Cheetah Cub

Blakely is back!

Just in time for International Cat Day, Blakely, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s veteran nanny dog, has come out of retirement to care for a cheetah cub.

According to the Ohio zoo, three cheetahs were born to first-time cheetah mom Neena on July 7 at the zoo’s cheetah breeding facility in Clermont County . Unfortunately, only one of the cubs survived.

“Cheetah moms do not receive enough stimulation from a single cub to produce an adequate milk supply, so the zoo’s expert neonate team stepped in,”a release from the zoosaid about what happened next.

Blakely has a resume you can believe in. Before retiring in 2017, the dog helped care for “several cheetahs, an ocelot, a takin, bat-eared foxes, an aardvark, a warthog, sibling wallabies, and a litter of Malayan tiger cubs,” the zoo said.

After a two year break, Blakely has had no problem picking up his cub caretaker duties.

“Introductions are going well,” said Strasser. “We put them together for the first time two days ago, and Blakely went into work mode! His nurturing and patience skills kicked in, and he sat still while the cub climbed on him and tried to figure out what to do with him.”

The cub, a female named Kris, will stay under Blakely’s care for a month or two, and then will move out of the neonate facility. After she is a little larger and more independent, thanks to Blakely’s help, Kris will be paired with a puppy who will grow to be her constant companion.

source: people.com