Can you spot the difference? Rare twin Amur Leopards are born at a British wildlife sanctuary

By CRAIG MACKENZIE


Top cats: The twin Amur Leopard cubs who were born last month at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent

It is not surprising you can't spot the the difference between these two adorable cubs. They are twin Amur Leopards who have been born to the rarest big cat in the world at an animal sanctuary in Britain.
The breed is near extinction - with only 35 left in the wild and just 100 in captivity - so workers were thrilled with the new arrivals at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation in Smarden, Kent.
They were born last month to dad Hogar, four, and mum Xizi, seven, who arrived at the sanctuary in 2009 from Helsinki Zoo in Finland.
The cubs have not been named and are still too young to sex, but staff are making a big fuss of them after watching the births live on CCTV.
Shockingly, there are only six recorded female Amur Leopards living in the wild with reproduction proving to a be a major factor in conservation efforts.

Just the two of us: The cubs are so rare there are only 100 Amur Leopards in captivity

Cute: The breed is near extinction due to the destruction of their habitat and illegal trade in pelts

Mother and baby: There are only six recorded female Amur Leopards in the wild with reproduction proving to be a factor in their dwindling numbers

Head Keeper, Rebecca Porter, said: 'The introduction of a mate is a very risky process that can potentially lead to the male killing the female.
'But we gradually introduced Xizi to Hogar, in an adjacent enclosure back in February.
'It soon became obvious that they were very keen on each other through the wire. So when we opened the gate between them, they hit it off immediately.

Sleepy: Animal workers watched the twin Leopard cubs being born live on CCTV


Adorable: The cubs are too young to be sexed and have yet to be named after being born last month

The main cause of the cat's demise in the wild is deforestation along with poaching for the pelt trade.
Rebecca added: 'Being able to watch the two cubs being born on CCTV was an amazing experience, there aren't any words to describe the feeling you get when you see such important animals being born.
'It means all the dedication and hard work by both the staff and volunteers has been worthwhile.'

source: dailymail