Watch: Endangered cheetah cubs make public debut at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Four endangered cheetah cubs born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park have taken their first steps into the public enclosure alongside their mother.
The young cubs, all girls and born on Valentine’s Day, have taken their first steps into the main enclosure alongside their mother.
Footage shows the cubs excitedly play in the new enclosure as they discover their new surroundings.
The cub’s parents, Brooke and Darcy, are rare Northern Cheetahs, who were introduced as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.
Director of Animals, Dr. Charlotte MacDonald, said: “It’s fantastic to see the cubs finally out and about in Cheetah Territory.
“Mum Darcy is great for both nurturing and playing with them, and it’s great to see they are so keen on exploring the enclosure’s space.”
Second-time-mother Darcy previously gave birth to her first litter in 2024, who were moved to Chester Zoo in late October 2025 as part of an important conservation initiative.
Kate Borrington, Senior Animal Ranger at YWP, added: “The girls were a little bit cautious to start with, and a little bit nervous seeing people on the walkway, but as time has gone on, they’ve become used to it and have been running around all morning, playing with mum and each other.”
Kate continued: “These girls are a lot more energetic and ‘spicier’ than Darcy’s previous two, Kendi and Tafari, who were a lot more relaxed.
“They like to talk to each other. Darcy will especially be vocal to the cubs if she’s moved quite far from them and can’t see them, and vice versa. They chirp to tell each other where they are.
“It’s been super exciting from having watched the girls being born, and working with them from day one up until they’ve been out in the paddocks.
“It’s been amazing watching them grow and it’s only going to get better from here. We hope our visitors get to enjoy watching them as much as we do.
“Just like us, Darcy is super happy that the cubs are out – she’s been keen to get them out here"
YWP’s Cheetah Territory covers 10,000 square metres, comprising of three reserves and two houses forming a breeding complex, which is believed to be the largest in Europe.
Kate added: “Cheetahs are under threat in the wild from habitat loss, poaching and pollution.
“They were once one of the most widespread carnivores on the planet, but are now mainly confined to Southern Africa with small numbers in East and North African and a population of less than 30 in Iran.
“We hope to continue our efforts ramping the species’ numbers up.”