A  pair of inquisitive cheetah cubs take their first steps into public view  - in a moment of hope for the vulnerable species.

The adorable three-month-old cubs, born to mum Darcy at the award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park, represent a major advance for the conservation of cheetahs whose numbers have fallen to around 7,000 in the wild.

Darcy, four, and their father 13-year-old Brook moved to the park’s Cheetah Territory last year and set up home in the three reserves and two specially-designed houses as part of a European breeding project.

The cubs, the park’s first ever.  were nurtured by Darcy in the enclosure for three months but are now strong enough to be allowed out to  roam out across the 10,000 square metre reserve which is enriched with caves and grasslands.

“We’re so pleased that our cubs are strong and healthy and ready to be released into the reserve where visitors will be able to see them properly for the first time,” said Dr Charlotte Macdonald, Director of Animals, at the park, near Doncaster.

The resort  partners  with the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which has a mission to preserve cheetah eco systems with interventions that are environmentally sustainable, 

socially responsible and economically viable. 

 CCF Director of Development  James Hanaway  said: “We are delighted to see these two new Northern Cheetah cubs born in Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s endangered species breeding programme.

“These births are a perfect moment to announce the new partnership between Yorkshire Wildlife Park and CCF UK and together we will work tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for CCF’s work, in Africa and beyond, to realise a world in which cheetahs live and flourish in co-existence with people and the environment.”

Cheetahs are regarded as one of the oldest of the world’s big cat species and were considered sacred by the Egyptians. They can reach speeds of up to 75 mph for short periods, and can reach 60 mph in 3 seconds. 

But their numbers have dropped over the last 50 years and cheetahs have become extinct in 13 African countries due to poaching, loss of habitat and human-wildlife conflict. 

YWP, which puts conservation at the heart of all its activities, offers visitors a mesmerising walk-through experience coming almost face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful and at-risk species, including Polar Bears, Black Rhinos, Giraffes and African Painted dogs.