here - White Oak

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?
1
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
2
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
3