Sacramento Zoo Now Home To 2 Cheetahs

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - We're getting our first look at two new cheetahs at the Sacramento Zoo.

"Rowdy" and "Zig Zag" are brothers. The almost 4-year-old felines arrived earlier in April from a drive-thru wildlife safari in Oregon and have been settling into their new digs.

Now they're ready to receive visitors. The zoo's staff says one thing that may surprise you about cheetahs is that they don't sound like other big cats.

"They're not like the big cats -- no roaring, no chuffing -- sweet little chirp sounds, they meow like a house cat," said zoo spokeswoman Melissa McCartney. "And, because we have brothers, they talk to each other non-stop. It's really fun for guests to be out here...these cute little sounds coming. You wouldn't expect it from a big cat like that."

The cheetahs are in the zoo's former Australian habitat, which got some nice upgrades, including green grass, heating elements under shade structures, and a glass panel for up-close viewing.