Metro Richmond Zoo recognized for cheetah breeding efforts.
It actually started with a monkey. Prior to 1995, Metro Richmond Zoo founder and director Jim Andelin lived in Moseley, and although he had acquired some swans, pheasants, emus, deer and kangaroos, he has said it was really the monkey that tipped things over. Comprising 70 acres outside of Chesterfield, the Metro Richmond Zoo has nearly 1,400 animals ranging from penguins and giraffes to tapirs—and cheetahs.
Late last year, Andelin accepted an Excellence in Breeding Award from the Zoological Association of America, in recognition of the zoo’s superior cheetah breeding program.
Since 2013, the program has seen the birth of 40 cubs—a great success as cheetahs typically do not breed in captivity and cubs born in the wild have a 90 percent mortality rate. Visitors can enjoy up-close experiences with cheetahs inside the zoo—which comprises 70 acres outside of Chesterfield and houses more than 1,400 animals—with contained viewing windows that let you get as close as one inch. MetroRichmondZoo.com
