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| Two rare Amur leopards born at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire | Two rare Amur leopards born at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A pair of Amur leopards, which are said to be the rarest big cats in the world, have been born in Leicestershire. | A pair of Amur leopards, which are said to be the rarest big cats in the world, have been born in Leicestershire. |
| Twycross Zoo said its new cubs were born in June and could one day be reintroduced into the wild. | Twycross Zoo said its new cubs were born in June and could one day be reintroduced into the wild. |
| There are about 50 wild Amur leopards in China and south-eastern Russia but they are close to extinction because of poaching and illegal logging. | There are about 50 wild Amur leopards in China and south-eastern Russia but they are close to extinction because of poaching and illegal logging. |
| The zoo said it had only just announced the births of the cubs over fears they might not have survived. | The zoo said it had only just announced the births of the cubs over fears they might not have survived. |
| A zoo spokesman said the cubs were unnamed as they had not yet had any human contact and staff did not even know their gender. | A zoo spokesman said the cubs were unnamed as they had not yet had any human contact and staff did not even know their gender. |
| Dr Charlotte Macdonald, head of life sciences at Twycross, said: "We are hopeful that these UK-born babies will one day be part of wider conservation plans for the reintroduction of the species to the wild." | Dr Charlotte Macdonald, head of life sciences at Twycross, said: "We are hopeful that these UK-born babies will one day be part of wider conservation plans for the reintroduction of the species to the wild." |
| But she said any reintroduction would not take place for several years and only after negotiation with the Russian government. | But she said any reintroduction would not take place for several years and only after negotiation with the Russian government. |
| The cubs' father Davidoff was the first Amur leopard born at Twycross Zoo. | The cubs' father Davidoff was the first Amur leopard born at Twycross Zoo. |
| Poaching, illegal logging, forest clearance and land development, disease and in-breeding within a small population, are all factors which have threatened the long-term survival of the species, the zoo said. | Poaching, illegal logging, forest clearance and land development, disease and in-breeding within a small population, are all factors which have threatened the long-term survival of the species, the zoo said. |
| But there are thought to be 200 to 300 Amur leopards - a subspecies of the more numerous leopard - in captivity. | |
| Dr John Lewis, veterinary advisor to the Amur leopard European captive breeding programme, said zoo breeding was "fundamental" to saving the animal. | Dr John Lewis, veterinary advisor to the Amur leopard European captive breeding programme, said zoo breeding was "fundamental" to saving the animal. |
| "We don't know how many of the Amur leopards remaining in the wild are young or old, male or female," he said. | "We don't know how many of the Amur leopards remaining in the wild are young or old, male or female," he said. |
| "So if the population is skewed towards too many males or too many older individuals, this can impact the species' chances of breeding successfully," he said. | "So if the population is skewed towards too many males or too many older individuals, this can impact the species' chances of breeding successfully," he said. |
| The cubs are on display to the public from Wednesday. | The cubs are on display to the public from Wednesday. |