The nasty day Wed. was just a "bump in the road" of nice weather as the sun returns Thu. & especially Fri. through the weekend into early next week. Temps. will respond with highs close to 70 Thu. & in the 70s Fri. through Wed. of next week. Plus it'll stay dry with little more than a few coastal showers the next couple days & a few showers by the middle of next week as a weakening front moves into the area.
I heard from a viewer in St. Augustine Wed. not happy about the big temp. change as she's part of a market that is every Wed. at the St. Augustine beach pier (see pic below). From Marion: I design recycled cotton tote bags with clothing purchased at Betty Griffin Thrift store that provides help to abused women and children locally. I wash and disassemble the clothing to design the bags so everything is recycled. Sounds pretty cool -- check it out each Wed. -- click here for the info.
Cheetah cubs were born in Nassau Co. at White Oak:
Last Monday a female cheetah at White Oak, a 7,400 acre conservation center and retreat near Yulee FL, gave birth to three healthy cubs. The cubs, a female and two males, are being cared for by their mother, a four year old cheetah who was also born at White Oak.
White Oak is one of the most successful cheetah breeding centers in the world, and these cubs mark the facility’s 144th-146th births. White Oak works with the Cheetah Species Survival Plan and partners at the Conservation Center for Species Survival (C2S2) to ensure that a healthy captive cheetah population continues to sustain cheetah populations.
The C2S2 consortium is comprised of five organizations, including White Oak, that collectively manage more than 25,000 acres devoted to endangered species study, management and recovery. Together the C2S2 partners house over 80 cheetahs and account for a majority of the cubs born in North America each year. Historically, the cheetah has low reproductive success in captivity, but the space, facilities, and expertise at White Oak and its C2S2 partners have resulted in increased success.
“Breeding cheetahs is very challenging and with only a small portion of the population reproducing, and it’s very exciting when we have cubs from a first time dam or sire, as this helps keep the population genetically healthy,” says White Oak cheetah expert Karen Meeks. “I’m very happy to see a first time mother so relaxed and content caring for her cubs.”
The three new cheetah cubs will stay with their mother until they are about 1 year old. The cubs will then be separated for placement in zoos and breeding centers, mimicking the natural dispersal process of cubs leaving their mother at that age.
White Oak conserves and sustains some of the earth’s rarest wild animals through innovative training, research, education, and breeding programs that contribute to the survival of wildlife in nature. The 7,400 acre facility is home to imperiled species from around the world including rhinos, cheetahs, and the elusive okapi. To learn more about White Oak go ** here **.
