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FELINE FRISKY

Two rare cheetah cubs make their first appearance at Longleat Safari Park

Adorable big cats, called Poppy and Winston, play in their enclosure under the watchful eye of mum Wilma

TWO adorable rare cheetah cubs have made their first public appearance.

Twin 13-week-old cubs Poppy and Winston ventured outside for the first time ever at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire under the watchful eye of mum Wilma.

The adorable cubs have been allowed into their public enclosure for the first time
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The adorable cubs have been allowed into their public enclosure for the first timeCredit: Longleat/BNPS
The cubs, Poppy and Winston explore the paddock under the watchful eye of mum Wilma
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The cubs, Poppy and Winston explore the paddock under the watchful eye of mum WilmaCredit: CalebHall/Longleat/BNPS
They are enjoying their new-found freedom at their home in Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire
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They are enjoying their new-found freedom at their home in Longleat Safari Park in WiltshireCredit: CalebHall/Longleat/BNPS

The baby big cats made the most of their new-found freedom, frolicking about the huge paddock together.

The pair are part of a breeding programme to boost the numbers of big cats, and are vital to save cheetahs.

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The cheetah is officially classified as 'vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species which means it is likely to become 'endangered' unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve.

In 2008 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimated there to be around 7,500-10,000 adult cheetahs in Africa and there are concerns the numbers have dropped since then.

The cubs are now 13 weeks old and were named by the public
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The cubs are now 13 weeks old and were named by the publicCredit: CalebHall/Longleat/BNPS
They were seen playing together in their enclosure
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They were seen playing together in their enclosureCredit: CalebHall/Longleat/BNPS
The cubs still have their "Mohican-style" fur
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The cubs still have their "Mohican-style" furCredit: CalebHall/Longleat/BNPS

Keeper Eloise Kilbane said: "It's amazing to see how fast they are developing and fascinating to watch their reactions to the outside world.

"Both of them were initially a little disconcerted by the wet grass and kept trying to wipe the water off their paws. Poppy also got a leaf stuck to her back and couldn't quite work out how to get it off.

"However it wasn't long before they were demonstrating the cheetah's famous turn of speed as they chased each other around.

"Both mum Wilma and dad Carl have very valuable genetics within the European population as they came to us from a captive breeding population in Pretoria, South Africa.

"This means Winston and Poppy are also genetically distinct from the vast majority of the cheetah within Europe, which means their birth is even more important."

Despite being the fastest developing member of the cat family, the cubs will remain reliant on mum for up to two years.

Cheetahs are the world's quickest land animals, capable of top speeds of 71 miles per hour. While running they can cover four strides in a second with each stride measuring up to eight metres.

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