These baby cheetah cubs are Gainesville's newest and fastest residents

Christine and Barry Janks’ house has reeked since the birth of three cheetah cubs more than two months ago.

“Part of our house smells like cheetah urine,” said Christine Janks, the co-founder and president of Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation.

The cubs, two males and a female named Tuesday, Austin and Javy, were born June 6 on the conservation to cheetah parents Cammie and Richie. The trio are the first documented cheetah cubs born in Gainesville, Janks said.

Before their debut at the conservation, they’ve been spending every night in a pen at the Janks’ home.

“Our whole life really is devoted to these animals,” Janks said.

Janks said she still has trouble telling them apart, but she uses clues like Austin’s rounder head and Tuesday’s pointed face. Tuesday has mastered her toys, Javy is energetic and tries to fight with Austin, who’s laid back.

The cubs will be introduced at the Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation’s open house, located at 8528 County Road 225, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 29. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

Janks said she’s excited for people to possibly sponsor the cubs, who cost about $25 a day to tend to.

“Googling animals will never save them,” Janks said. “Actually seeing them and understanding and watching their behavior is what will save them.”

The conservation went through setbacks in breeding, she said.

The cubs’ mother, Cammie, was picky about the father of her children. Keepers conducted a teasing process, where they would bring a male close to Cammie and then remove him.

Females might not accept the male, like the cheetah Matt, who was “really aggressive,” Janks said.

The cubs’ father, Richie, would sit and wait for Cammie to show interest in him.

“He's very gentlemanly-like and sort of romantic and never seems threatening,” Janks said.

Ellie Gressman, a 22-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation senior and conservation volunteer, said she’d been waiting all summer to see the cubs.

She said she immediately walked to the cheetah pen and heard their chirping.

“I loved getting to hear that, it made my heart flutter,” she said.

Correction: This story initially misspelled the name of the cheetah cub Javy. The Alligator regrets the mistake.

One of three cheetah cubs from Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation rests after a long day of playing with toys. The trio of cheetah cubs born on June 6 includes two males and a female named Tuesday, Austin and Havy. They are the first documented cheetah cubs born in Gainesville.