For the first time since 2020, cheetah cubs have been born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Park officials say the litter of four males were born Jan. 24 to first-time mother Kelechi. The brothers have been bonding in a private behind-the-scenes den at the Carnivore Conservation Center but are beginning to explore beyond that space, officials said earlier this month.

“The cubs are now emerging from their den, giving guests an opportunity to see them as part of an Ultimate Safari,” the park said in a statement.

Ultimate Safaris are specialized experiences and cost $760 or more per person, according to the park’s website.

“Cheetah mothers are incredibly attentive to their young. During these vital early months, Kelechi spends much of her time grooming her cubs and keeping them close,” a zoo press release said. “As they continue to grow more curious and active, they play and climb all over her as she keeps a close eye on them, chirping to call them closer when needed.”

A video posted by the park on social media on March 9 shows the cubs running on a grassy hill. Another shot shows them lying close together on pieces of hay, as they vocalize.”Oh my! Cuteness off the chart,” one person commented on the Safari Park’s Instagram page.

Park officials say the birth of the cubs supports the genetic diversity of cheetahs, considered a vulnerable species in the wild, and helps “ensure their vulnerable global population remains strong and healthy.”

An intense heat wave is expected to linger throughout parts of San Diego County and Southern California for the next few days into the weekend, forecasters said Wednesday.

The unseasonable hot spell poses potential health hazards and sets a series of records for March temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.

An NWS extreme-heat warning will be in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Saturday for local desert communities, with temperatures of 104 to 112 degrees likely — and possibly a couple degrees higher on Thursday and Friday, with nighttime only lows falling into the mid-70s.

Into the weekend, temperatures across the county will be 20 to 30 degrees above normal for this time of year, according to meteorologists.

A less severe heat advisory will be in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Friday for the area mountains, with highs in the 90s possible below 4,500 feet and into the 80s at higher elevations. A heat advisory will remain in effect until 8 p.m. Friday for coastal areas, where highs could reach into the 90s, and the inland valleys, where temperatures in the triple digits are possible.

A slight cooling should move in over the weekend into early next week, with higher coastal humidity spreading inland. Even with the cooling, high temperatures for next Tuesday will range from around 5 to 10 degrees above average near the coast to 12 to 18 degrees above average for inland areas.

“Widespread moderate or greater Heat Risk will continue into the weekend except near the immediate coast and in the higher elevations in the mountains,” the NWS said.

Temperature records broken or tied on Tuesday (March 17)

Temperatures on Tuesday (St. Patrick’s Day) at San Diego International Airport raised the mercury to 89 degrees, cementing it as the warmest day of the year thus far, according to Meteorologist Greg Bledsoe.

Compared to other March 17 temperatures the NWS keeps on record, several areas around San Diego County broke their records for heat on Tuesday (with one tie). See those below:

• Chula Vista (93) broke its record from 1978
• Ramona (95) broke its record from 2004
• Alpine (96) broke its record from 1978
• El Cajon (97) broke its record from 1978
• Palomar Mountain (79) broke its record from 1972
• Campo (89) tied its record from 2007

Also on Tuesday, Ocotillo Wells was the hottest spot in the entire county at 102 degrees! While the desert is expected to be sweltering, San Pasqual was the hottest spot not in the desert at 99 degrees.

How to keep cool amid heat waves:

Cal/OSHA, for its part, urged employers to take precautions to protect workers as temperatures rise.

“This is one of the first heat waves of the year, with temperatures rising above the seasonal average,” officials with the state agency asserted in a prepared statement. “Employees may not yet be acclimatized to high heat and may need additional breaks and interventions when they adapt to the conditions. Cal/OSHA reminds employers to be vigilant, especially with newer employees, and ensure that employees have shade, water and rest breaks to prevent heat illness.”

County officials offered tips on how people and their families can stay safe:

• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Stay out of the sun
• Wear light, loose-fitting clothing
• Avoid using the oven to cook
• Limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening
• Take refuge in air- conditioned spaces if possible
• Check in on potentially at-risk friends, relatives and neighbors

How to help someone with heatstroke or heat exhaustion:

First and foremost, if you find someone who is suffering from symptoms of heatstroke or heat exhaustion — dizziness, nausea, confusion, headache — call 9-1-1 and start cooling them. DO NOT give them fluids to drink. A person with heatstroke may not be able to swallow. Fluids could run down their trachea into their lungs and make it hard for them to breathe.

After calling 9-1-1, start cooling the person by moving them into the shade, spraying them with cool water and fanning. Place them in a cool shower if they are alert, monitor their body temperatures and continue cooling them.

San Diego County recently received nearly $100 million from the state for behavioral health treatment.

The award was announced last Wednesday, with funding from Proposition 1, which voters approved in March 2024.

“It’s a milestone for behavioral health in San Diego County,” Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said at news conference Tuesday, celebrating the award.

The San Diego region is receiving $171 million, including $99.5 million for the county — that was the largest single award from the grant. Lawson-Remer said the money will go toward building a state-of-the-art Behavioral Health Wellness Campus in the Midway District.

It’s replacing the vacant complex adjacent to the existing San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital. It is expected to add 210 new treatment beds for mental health and substance abuse treatments and a hub for crisis stabilization and outpatient care.

“For too long we had a fragmented system,” Lawson-Remer said. “And still every single day, patients across San Diego County have to go sometimes one to five, 12 different places to get the treatment that they need.”

The county was one of three grantees in the region. The Pala Band of Mission Indians received $21.5 million for a substance abuse and mental health treatment center.

“We’re the first Native American tribe in Southern California to be awarded this grant.” Pala tribal Chairman Robert H. Smith said.

The center will be built near Chokla Mountain, also known as Gregory Mountain. Smith said it was vital to have mental health services on tribal land so the treatment stays connected to the culture.

“We want to keep them in their current surroundings, work with them with people they know, use traditional practices and help them get cured if we can with all the services we provide,” he said.

Chokla Mountain is considered sacred to the Luiseño people because it is believed to be the resting place of Tawkish, a deity who keeps the balance between life and death. Smith said that’s also why it’s a good place for healing.”

“Just the nature of the oak trees, the mountain — everything is there is extreme nature,” he said. “It just helps overall with the healing process.”

The facility is expected to open by September 2028 and will be open to all members of local Native American tribes.

Palomar Health was the third grantee in the region, receiving $50 million in restored funding for a 120-bed behavioral health campus in Escondido. The state rescinded the Round 1 award for the same amount in 2025 after Palomar failed to meet the matching-fund requirement.