Cheetah twins arrive at Denver Zoo home

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DENVER, July 9 (UPI) -- Cheetah twins born in an Ohio wildlife conservation center have arrived at their new home at the Denver Zoo, where they are on public view, zoo officials said.

The two young cheetahs -- named Marvin and Mojo, and born in October 2010 -- have been moved to the zoo because as nearly full-grown animals they needed more space than the wildlife center could provide, OurAmazingPlanet reported Monday.

They have replaced an 8-year-old male cheetah named Barafu, which is now at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., to breed.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified cheetahs -- which can sprint as fast as 70 mph over short distances in pursuit of prey -- as endangered due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Fewer than 10,00 cheetahs are thought to remain in the wild.

Inhabiting the drier regions of sub-Saharan Africa, the largest population of African cheetahs is found in Namibia.