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Cheetah Husbandry Workshop

The cheetah husbandry workshop at White Oak (WO) focuses on the challenges associated with cheetah breeding and the successful techniques used at WO to manage and breed cheetahs in large enclosures. White Oak is one of the nation’s foremost breeding centers for cheetahs, with over 140 cubs born since 1984. The primary workshop format will be hands-on training, coupled with presentations and discussion to reinforce the practical experience. WO care workshops can involve single participants from various institutions, but the training’s impact can be increased by involving several staff members from the same institution. WO will make every effort to adapt the workshop experience to fit the participant’s interests. White Oak also offers ungulate husbandry training programs, and combined workshops are offered for exposure to both ungulate and cheetah training.

General: Maximum Number of Participants per Class: 4 Duration of Class: 2 or 3 days, 2 nights Lodging/Meals: on-site lodging at WO dependent on room availability; lodging also available in Kingsland, GA; lunch on training days is provided Transportation: free transportation to and from Jacksonville airport to WO, and from hotels in Kingsland, GA to WO Cost: variable depending on group size and lodging Please see www.whiteoakwildlife for a complete species list of managed animals at WO

Topics and Skills Covered in the Workshop

General Husbandry: Hands-on experience with daily routine including;

feeding, shifting, and animal observation in large enclosures

Housing options – how to avoid stress

Vocalizations – what do they mean?

Medical Care: Medical care (vaccinations, blood draws, immobilizations

and recovery)

Darting vs. hand injection

‘Tricks of the trade’ for medicating cheetahs and getting sick cheetahs to eat

Stools (markers used) and what do abnormal stools mean?

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Facilities Design:

Infrastructure to be a breeding facility

Fence design

Chutes and runways

Corral design

Den design

Camera monitoring set-ups

Breeding Introductions and Management: Estrus detection

Safe and successful introductions, separations, and monitoring for breeding success

Working in with cheetahs safely

Record keeping- birth surveys and breeding information

Timing breeding for cross-fostering and seasonal concerns

Pre-parturition management: Den structure, location, and neighbors

Pregnant vs. pseudo-pregnant – how to tell?

Dam vaccinations

Diet changes

Protocols for monitoring parturition

Neonatal Management: Managing singletons or small litters

Cross-fostering

Cub vaccinations

Hand-rearing

Cub management in large enclosures

Cub management with medical cases

Diet

Protocols for separating cubs from dam and cubs from cubs

Transport (in-house and external): Chute training

Crating cheetahs

Restraint cages- training and design

Immobilizations- safe design and procedures

Transport with vehicles, carts, and kennels

Pre-transport conditioning

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Lure Course: Safe set up for drag courses and

continuous loop courses

Safety for cheetahs and staff

Introduction to guests and guest interactions

Practical Training (Operant Conditioning): (dependent on availability at time of training)

Hand restraint (cubs only)

Restraint cage

Lure course

Moving and walking cheetahs

Applying topical medications (swat, flea control)

Weighing animals

Blood draws (voluntary and non-voluntary)

Enrichment

Introductions / breeding

Safety

For further information please contact: Karen Meeks, Animal Collections Manager

KarenZ@wogilman.com

Phone 904-225-3306

Visit: www.whiteoakwildlife.org