Cheetah mom gave birth during shutdown, National Zoo reveals

Although the federal government was partially closed last month, a creature in its custody, apparently unaware of any restrictions, produced a litter of four little ones in a breeding milestone. Erin the 10-year-old cheetah at the National Zoo’s Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, July 31, 2023. (Lee Powell/The Washington Post)

Seemingly unconcerned by any legalities, the heedless animal, a five-year old female cheetah named Amabala, gave birth to the cubs Oct. 17 and 18 at the conservation facility in Front Royal, Virginia, operated by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo.