An Australian zoo has recruited a puppy to help socialise a precious cheetah cub after she had to be separated from her mother, and the two have become firm friends
By James Woodford
28 July 2025
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The playful pair of Rozi the cheetah cub and Ziggy the labrador-kelpie-collie mix show that sibling bonds can transcend species boundaries.
Rozi was born in late February at Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia, by emergency caesarean after her mother, Siri, went into labour early.
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Siri never produced milk, and because Rozi was critically unwell for the first weeks of her life, the mother and daughter had to be separated.
Rozi’s two siblings were stillborn, so as the sole surviving cub, she faced the prospect of at least 18 months in isolation, leaving her ill-equipped to join the zoo’s breeding programme.
Zookeepers decided that if Rozi was going to develop and socialise normally, giving her the best chance of successfully breeding one day, she would need a step-sibling.