18.08.2018
Cheetah territories/home ranges overlap, giving females in estrus opportunity to meet several males. Moreover, cheetah females are promiscuous, and during short period of receptivity within one estrus cycle, can accept different males. By that, cubs from one litter can have more than one father. This adaptation allows males spread their genes, and females – gain fitness benefits for their offspring. In a large male coalition, usually only one male gets opportunity to mate with the female. Males can benefit by separation from the other members for breeding. Within five days, there were at least 7 different males Nashipai, being in estrus, met with Fast Five coalition twice – when they all were together and when they split into two and three. Splitting provided one of the males great opportunity to mate with the female. After that, we observed Nashipai followed by Hodari. There is a chance that her new litter will have more than one father.
