New kittens wowing public with the “lynx effect”...(31st August 2011)
Perched inside a tree-trunk hideout, Rhubarb the lynx kitten looks over his paddock at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.
One of a pair of rare European lynx, Rhubarb and his brother Custard are the first-borns of mum, Maja, and dad, Timo, and newest arrivals at the 600-acre Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
Rhubarb and Custard are already showing off their distinctive pointed-ears, but haven’t yet developed their spotted-markings on their coats, which will begin to appear as they get older.
The kittens have only just began to investigate their outdoor enclosure, after staying tucked away in their den with mum for their first few weeks. Now that they are big enough to venture out by themselves, visitors to the Zoo can spot them playing hide and seek amongst the trees together.
Known as a crepuscular species, European lynx are most active at dawn and dusk, and the kittens are already showing signs of this behaviour – with keepers spotting them in the morning stalking birds that fly into their enclosure. Related categories Zoos, farms & wildlife parks
Related townsDunstable
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