Inside the Smithsonian's Hidden Cheetah Sanctuary episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 24, 2026 · 18 MIN

Inside the Smithsonian's Hidden Cheetah Sanctuary

from The Show About Science · host Nate Butkus, Jason Paris, Eric Butkus, Amber Dedrick, Adrienne Crosier

In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate visits the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, to learn how scientists are working to protect cheetahs from extinction. He talks with carnivore keeper Amber Dedrick and program curator Adrienne Crosier about cheetah personalities, purring cats, genetic bottlenecks, microbiomes, fertility science, and the quiet work of saving a species one generation at a time. What does it take to help the fastest cat on Earth keep running? Find out on this episode of The Show About Science. Subscribe to our mailing list: https://theshowaboutscience.com/#subscribe-submit Watch the Tumble Joke-ha-thon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9eEdIwog_k&t=1s Support Tumble: https://givebutter.com/JokeHaThon2026/natebutkus Connect with The Show About Science: Instagram: @showaboutscience Facebook: @theshowaboutscience YouTube:The Show About Science Twitter: @natepodcasts LinkedIn: The Show About Science Threads: showaboutscience Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The cheetah is built for speed. It can go from zero to 60 in just a few seconds. But today, the fastest land animal on Earth is losing a much bigger race: the race to survive.

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Inside the Smithsonian's Hidden Cheetah Sanctuary

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This episode was published on June 24, 2026.

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In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate visits the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, to learn how scientists are working to protect cheetahs from extinction. He talks with carnivore...

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