Four Northern cheetah cubs born at Fota Wildlife Park in Cork are likely to prove a major draw for visitors.

The two males and two females, who are as yet unnamed, were born to mother Nimpy and father Claude, six weeks ago, and are now starting to become active.

Lead ranger Kelly Lambe said the park was delighted to welcome the new arrivals. “The Northern Cheetah is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),” she said.

“Cheetahs face many threats to their population including the conversion of their natural habitat, grasslands, to agricultural zones, conflict with humans and competition for food with other large predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas.”

Although Nimpy, who is nine years of age, is keeping her cubs safely and securely in the den where they were born, they are starting to become active and can be viewed on the camera screen at their habitat on Cheetah Hill.

The park is calling on the public to help name the cubs and be in with a chance to win a year-long conservation membership for each name that is chosen.

Entry forms can be found online at: www.fotawildlife.ie/blog.

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