Cotswold Wildlife Park's rare Pallas's Cat kittens have made their debut on International Cat Day.
The Park’s breeding pair of majestic Pallas’s Cats, Tull and Penelope, have produced their first litter at the Park.
In the wild, their breeding season is incredibly short due to the extreme climate in their native range of Central Asia.
Oestrus - the reproductive cycle similar to the menstrual cycle - only lasts between 26 and 42 hours, which is considered shorter than many other species of cats.
Births in captivity are considered rare - only four other European zoological collections have successfully bred this enigmatic species in the last 12 months.
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The kittens made their debut in time for International Cat Day - a global event held each year on August 8.
Mammal keeper Willemijn captured these stunning images of the newborns.
Regular visitor to the Park, Stephen Woodham, also took some amazing photos after waiting patiently with his camera for the moment the kittens tentatively began exploring their new home.
Their shy nature in the wild means there is very little known about these creatures.
German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas originally classified the cat as 'Felis manul' in 1776. The word 'manul' has its roots in the Mongolian language.
Its current scientific name, Otocolobus manul, comes from the Greek language and can be translated to 'ugly-eared'.
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