NORFOLK, Va. — The cheetahs at The Virginia Zoo, Chester and Rico, will be leaving the zoo in search of mates across the country.
The brothers have been at the zoo in Norfolk for about 3 years. They came from the Metro Richmond Zoo in April 2016.
Chester and Rico will be relocated to the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Cheetah Species Survival Program (SSP) so they can breed.
The cheetah is listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to habitat fragmentation, human-animal conflict, and poaching of cubs. It's estimated there are less than 7,000 cheetahs left, so Chester and Rico are vital to the conservation of their species.
After Chester and Rico head west, the Virginia Zoo will be welcoming two female cheetahs to the zoo's Africa – Okavango Delta exhibit. Charo, a six-year-old cheetah, and Lima, only two years old, will arrive from the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas.
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