Dartmoor Zoo has cause for celebration after the birth of two new Carpathian Lynx kits.

Flaviu's new love interest, Emily, arrived at Dartmoor Zoo from Karlsruhe Zoo in Germany in February. After a successful introduction in March, the pair became inseparable, with staff at the zoo observing multiple instances of mutual grooming and mating soon after.

The arrival of the two kits was confirmed on Wednesday, May 29, via squeaks accompanying the mother in their cubbing den and sightings as they began to explore.

Animal Manager Madeleine Millin said: “Everyone at Dartmoor Zoo is elated at our newest arrivals. The keeper team will be monitoring Emily and Flaviu’s behaviour and welfare during this time whilst ensuring the parents and kits have space to adjust, explore, and feel safe and calm in their environment. The enclosure will remain off-show to the public until further notice, so although they may be visible, we ask guests to remain calm and quiet around their enclosure.”

Kits are born blind and with their ears folded, heavily relying upon their parents until they begin to explore their environments after around a month. Regular observations will take place over the coming months to ensure both parents and kits are doing well.

CEO David Gibson added: “We are absolutely thrilled with the birth of our Carpathian Lynx kits. This species is under severe threat across much of its home range in central Europe, so every captive-born individual is extremely important for the future survival of the species. Our keepers will be monitoring both mum and kits closely over the next few weeks.”

Emily and Flaviu are Carpathian Lynx, a subspecies of Eurasian Lynx, the largest of all four species. The majority of this species can be found in Romania, Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine, while the population in Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria is scattered. With a population of around 2,100–2,400, breeding and reintroduction programmes within zoos are essential to stabilising and subsequently increasing these numbers, so to announce that our breeding match has been successful is a great achievement."

To find out more about Dartmoor Zoo, visit their website.