World's first in vitro cheetah cubs capture hearts at American zoo

The two cheetah cubs are first ever to be born using in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer to a surrogate mother

SHOWS: DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 23, 2020) (COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM/ EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ NO RESALE/ NO NEW USES AFTER APRIL 26, 2020, 23:59:59/ MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO) 1.

VARIOUS OF TWO CHEETAH CUBS YAWNING, PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER 2.

VARIOUS OF TWO CHEETAH CUBS INTERACTING WITH THEIR MUM DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 19, 2020) (KRISTIN GATES - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM/ EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ NO RESALE/ NO NEW USES AFTER APRIL 26, 2020, 23:59:59/ MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO) 2.

CCTV OF CHEETAH GIVING BIRTH IN DEN STORY: Despite only being weeks old, two cheetah cubs are making history after being the first of their kind to be born using in vitro fertilization and embryo transfers to a surrogate mother.

Footage released by Ohio's Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Sunday (February 23) showed the cubs, who still have their eyes shut, yawning and snuggling with their mother.

Whilst the cubs' biological mother is named Kibibi, they were delivered by another cheetah named Isabelle on February 19.

The births are the result of a partnership between Columbus Zoo, the Smithsonian's National Zoo, the Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, and the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose.

(Production: Pola Grzanka)