Cincinnati Zoo adopts rescue puppy to be newborn cheetah’s pal

Usually, cats and dogs aren’t known to pal around together. Sometimes, though, something special happens that unites two unlikely furry friends. In this case, the Cincinnati Zoo has teamed up a cheetah cub and a puppy to be playmates and this might be the most adorable duo we’ve seen in a long time.

This Ohio zoo is already well-known for its world-famous hippo, Fiona — who will be a big sister soon, by the way!

Now, a new addition to the facility is taking her share of the spotlight. In late May, Cincinnati Zoo officials announced the arrival of Rozi (pronounced like “Rosie”) to its Cat Ambassador Program. The zoo’s social media team has been sharing some precious updates with fans on Rozi’s growth and development. (Editor’s warning: This video may cause a strong case of “AWWWWW.”)

Rozi is part of the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program, which is a conservation and education program to help preserve cheetahs and other wild cats, and educate the public on the importance and value of them.

According to the Cincinnati Zoo’s statement about Rozi, single cheetah cubs cannot be adequately nourished by their moms, so they must be bottle-fed and cared for by people trained to meet their special requirements. As a result, 4-week-old Rozi was transferred to Cincinnati from Oregon to get the care she needs in a facility equipped to handle everything she requires.

“The first few months are important for bonding and building trust, so we will be with her night and day,” said Linda Castañeda, lead trainer for the Cat Ambassador Program, in the statement. “When she’s ready, she will join the other ambassadors and eventually participate in the Zoo’s Cheetah Encounter.”

In addition to human care, Rozi also needs animal companionship and bonding to develop properly. That’s why the Cincinnati Zoo adopted a rescue puppy to be Rozi’s very own pal. The doggy was introduced to fans via Facebook with an invitation to name the zoo’s latest animal addition. After many votes, Rozi’s new companion was named Daisy and she is absolutely precious!

While Rozi and Daisy haven’t been introduced just yet, we have to imagine it will be shown on the zoo’s TikTok page — and will be a must-see event.

This isn’t the first time the Cincinnati Zoo has paired a pup with a young cheetah. Kris the cheetah and Remus the dog were paired up in 2019 and became a viral sensation of their own. The clip below of them meeting for the first time has been viewed more than 1.1 million times. In it, you can see that Kris was a little wary at first but soon warmed to her playful canine companion.

Since then, the duo has developed a close bond and spent quite a bit of time together. Zoo team members continue to keep a close eye on them as they mature to monitor their relationship and still post occasional updates on them, like this cute pic published on Facebook in September 2021.

Stay tuned to the Cincinnati Zoo’s social media pages for updates on this newest odd couple!