First of its kind: Rare snow leopard cub born at UK zoo

A rare snow leopard cub has been born at Chester Zoo as part of a conservation effort to save the endangered species.

The cub is the first of its kind to be born at the zoo in its 94-year history.

Footage caught on the zoo's 'den cams' showed the six-week old cub and its mother playing and dosing off in the cosy enclosure.

The cub's parents, Nubra and Yashin, were carefully matched together last year as part of an international conservation breeding program.

The cub's birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo's Himalayan habitat in May 2024.

It boasts a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia and provides the perfect setting for Nubra, Yashin and their cub.