A phalanx of photographers and journalists jostled for the best view as the 10-week-old cubs -- two males and two females -- bounded outside with their mother, Tumai, for their first public appearance.

The fluffy cubs romped around in something they would not likely have experienced in their native Africa: snow.

The cubs were born on Nov. 23 and are now the size of house cats, weighing about 10 pounds (4.5 kg). They will reach their adult weight of 100 pounds (45 kg) when they are about a year old and may then go to other zoos in North America to take part in a breeding conservation program.

The birth of the cheetahs, which were conceived naturally, was a godsend for the 115-year-old zoo as it tries to move beyond the high-profile criticism that led to an investigation and the resignation of its director last February.

The National Zoo, part of the Smithsonian Institution, came under intense scrutiny after a string of deaths, which included two red pandas killed by rat poison, a zebra that starved and an elephant that was put down because of tuberculosis.

The deaths were blamed on poor handling and bad management.

Zoo officials were pleased that all four cubs survived and are thriving, chirping happily to their mother.

Cheetahs, the fastest animals on earth with a speed of up to 60 mph (95 kph), were once found in Asia, the Middle East and Africa but they are now mostly extinct in the wild except in Africa, where there are only some 12,000 to 15,000 left.

There are about 262 in captivity in North America and some 1,200 worldwide, and the zoo prides its scientific program for the feat.

The cubs are the first litter by Tumai, a large 4-year-old female cheetah on indefinite loan from the Phoenix zoo. The cubs' father, however, 12-year-old Amadi, died of kidney disease shortly after the cubs' birth.

The cubs will be named in a public competition on the zoo's Web site. But their personalities already have emerged.