Laura Russell
TWO rare North Chinese leopard cubs have been born at Howlett's Zoo in Canterbury.
The cubs, which have not yet been given names, are the offsping of Britain's only captive-breeding pair of the species. They are the only two Chinese leopard cubs in the UK, and it is hoped that they will continue the population of the species in the future.
Charlotte Jones of the Lady Aspinall Foundation was delighted by the birth.
"The Chinese Leopards are beautiful and rare," she said. "They are spottier than African leopards, and tend to be shyer as well. The mother of the breeding pair tends to like to be left well alone - which our keepers did."
"Unfortunately, the cubs will not have learnt to hunt properly and probably wouldn't survive if released into the wild," she said. "Predators have tough lives - they must always have their eyes on the hunt if they are to live. For this reason, it would be cruel to release captive-bred leopards back into their native habitat."
This does not mean the cubs will miss out, though. The animal park provides plenty of entertainment for the animals all year round to keep them stimulated, mimicking their natural habitats.
"We found a great way to stimulate our tiger's natural hunting instincts," explained Charlotte. "We filled huge old car tyres with meat, and then packed plastic boxes on top so that the big cats had to work for their food. We'll probably do something similar for the leopards once they are older."
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