UPDATE: Dog mothers Cincinnati Zoo cheetah cubs

CINCINNATI, Oh. (CNN/WTVQ) – The mother of five cheetah cubs at the Cincinnati Zoo died shortly after giving birth earlier this month, but her cubs won’t have to go it alone.

The zoo’s resident nursery dog has taken over comforting the cubs.

The cheetahs were born by c-section at the zoo’s breeding facility on March 8th.

Zoo staff members bottle feed the cubs while “Blakely,” an Australian shepherd, provides them comfort, snuggles, and a body to climb on.

As the cubs get older, the zoo expects Blakely will become a teacher and role model for them.