The AMS team is already planning a breeding introduction for her second year. Because she was hand-raised, Cherish will need careful coaching to understand cheetah courtship. But if her feisty, affectionate personality is any indication, she will figure it out. The public’s response to the “cutest cheetah” has been overwhelming. AMS has received thousands of letters (including 200 hand-drawn pictures from a single elementary school class) and over $150,000 in donations—enough to fund a new mobile veterinary unit for wild cheetah reserves.
For the first 72 hours, veterinary staff worked in rotating shifts, bottle-feeding Cherish a specialized formula every two hours. They kept her in an incubator calibrated to mimic her mother’s body heat. They massaged her tiny belly to aid digestion—a delicate procedure that usually mother cheetahs do with their rough tongues.
By the time she is one year old, AMS Cherish will move to a large, naturalistic enclosure where she can run at full speed (up to 70 mph as an adult). She will participate in “Walk with a Cheetah” programs (on a harness, in a controlled setting) to teach visitors about cheetah behavior. And crucially, she will be paired with a companion dog—a golden retriever or Anatolian shepherd—to help her navigate social cues and reduce anxiety, a common practice for captive cheetahs.
In the world of wildlife conservation, every newborn cub is a victory. But every so often, a story emerges that transcends statistics and survival rates—a story that melts even the coldest hearts and reignites global passion for endangered species. The latest sensation in the animal kingdom is none other than AMS Cherish , officially dubbed the “Cutest Cheetah” by keepers and fans alike.