Two rare Sumatran tiger cubs and a pair of endangered northern cheetahs have had their first health check-ups at Chester Zoo.
The four new arrivals – who are all eight weeks old – were checked by the zoo’s specialist vets and carnivore keepers who determined their sexes, administered vaccinations and weighed them.
Each of the cubs also received a full physical examination which revealed the tigers are both female and the cheetahs are one of each.
Curator of mammals Tim Rowlands said: “Both species basically receive the same vaccines that a pet cat is given at the vets.
“The difference is we’re much more cautious about handling the cubs than we would be with domestic kittens.
“We worked in teams to complete the checks quickly, before returning them to their mums as soon as possible.
“They are very good mothers and fiercely protective of their young charges, so we certainly didn’t want to hang around long.”
The tiger cubs were born on June 2 and are the offspring of mum Kirana, seven, and dad Fabi, six.
The cheetahs were born two days later to mum KT, six, and dad Matrah, also aged six.
Mr Rowlands added: “Sumatran tigers and northern cheetahs are two of the rarest big cat species in the world and so these are very, very special cubs indeed.
“We needed to make sure they are healthy and in good body condition, and happily all of the cubs have been given a completely clean bill of health.
“Their arrivals are a big success for us and good news for the future of both species.
“They will now become part of European-wide breeding programme, providing an important safety-net in the event that wild populations become extinct.”
The tiger and cheetah cubs have not yet been named.
