Twycross Zoo celebrates birth of rare Amur leopard cubs

Twycross Zoo have announced the birth of two of the world’s rarest big cats - the Amur leopard.

The cubs are the second pair of babies born to mum Kristen and dad Davidoff and their birth marks another milestone for the zoo in it's efforts to save the species from extinction.

The cats, who are native to eastern Russian forest and mountain environments are at risk of being wiped out in their natural habitat.As solitary hunters they continually face habitat loss as well as being poached for their fur.

Recent estimations show the number of wild Amur leopards has now dropped beneath 70 individuals however the exact number is difficult to count as they are so rare.

With around 200 of these leopards in zoos across the world, the new cubs at Twycross will help conservationists hoping to reintroduce the cats and into the wild.

Dr Charlotte Macdonald, director of Life Sciences at Twycross said:

The cubs have not yet ventured outside their den, but visitors can watch them in a live showing on a big screen outside the leopards’ enclosure.