Fota reveal names for cheetah cubs after public vote

FOTA Wildlife Park has announced the names of two cheetah cubs following a public naming competition.

The endangered Northern cheetah cubs were born on November 24th 2025, and have been named Nia and Nuru, names meaning “purpose” and “light” in Swahili.

The naming competition attracted over one thousand entries.

Northern cheetahs are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with an estimated global population of approximately 600 individuals.

The subspecies faces ongoing threats including habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal wildlife trade.

One of two endangered Northern cheetah cubs, born at Fota Wildlife Park (Photo: Sinéad Donnachie, Fota Wildlife Park)

Acting lead ranger John Leahy said: 'We were thrilled with the level of engagement from the public in helping us name these cubs. The female cub is called Nia and the male is called Nuru, and these are beautiful names with powerful meanings. The names were selected to honour the cheetahs' African heritage.

'The cubs, along with their mother Florence, are now in the cheetah habitat near the Park’s main entrance, where they have settled in well. We hope to soon introduce the cubs to Fota’s world-famous cheetah run, a high-speed enrichment designed to simulate natural hunting behaviour by encouraging the animals to chase food as they would in nature.'

Since their birth, Nia and Nuru have continued to thrive under the care of their mother Florence. Now over four months old, they are growing in strength and confidence, regularly seen exploring their surroundings, playfully interacting with one another and delighting visitors to the park.

The births mark an important milestone in Fota Wildlife Park’s ongoing commitment to the conservation of the Northern cheetah.

These important breeding programmes maintain genetically diverse populations of threatened species in wildlife parks and zoos as part of ongoing global conservation efforts.

Visitors have the chance to see the cheetah cubs, Nia and Nuru, at Fota Wildlife Park, which is open daily from 9:30 am, with tickets available to book online at www.fotawildlife.ie.