Spot the difference: Two rare jaguar cubs born at Kent wildlife park
RARE twin jaguar cubs born at a wildlife park in England have arrived with an extra special twist – one is black and her brother is spotted.
The pair of as-yet-unnamed cubs were born at Wingham Wildlife Park in Kent last month
The male cub is the same colour as his father, Loki, who was also born with a twin at Aschersleben Zoo in eastern Germany four years ago.
The black female cub is the same colour as her mother, Luna.
The pair, born at Wingham Wildlife Park, near Canterbury in Kent last month, are the only cubs from the endangered species to be born in captivity in the UK in the past year.
Just five were born at zoos across Europe during that time. Luna was not especially large during her pregnancy so the arrival of twins came as a complete shock to staff.
Park keeper Luke Binskin said they were delighted at the unexpected arrival of the cubs
Luna, mother of the two cubs, has been keeping a close eye on the newborn brothers
Luke Binskin, head of the park’s carnivore section, said: “It was a really nice surprise for all of us to get twins.
It was a really nice surprise for all of us to get twins
“She [Luna] is keeping them indoors most of the time at the moment, however visitors can see inside the sleeping quarters.”
He added: “It’s nice to have one of each colour, although it does cause a bit of confusion for people, who often think that we have one jaguar and one leopard.”
The park is set on a 26-acre site in the Kent countryside, with more than 200 species including tigers, lions and the only Spix’s night monkeys outside of South America.
Jaguars are the largest cats of the Americas and prey on large mammals such as deer and small birds.
Wild jaguar numbers have been dwindling as their natural habitat is destroyed by deforestation
The month-old twins will be named by the public.
Suggestions for names can be emailed to us at sundaynews@express.co.uk and we will pass them on.
Alternatively, suggestions can be sent to the park through its Facebook page.
Markus Wilder, the park’s animal collection curator, said: “We normally wait until new arrivals are two or three months old before naming, when we know there have been no complications. But the twins are feeding incredibly well and are putting on weight, so they seem to be strong and healthy.”