THE RARE cheetah cubs at Longleat have taken their first steps out into the open world for the first time since they were born.

Thirteen-week-old cubs Poppy and Winston, who were named by members of the public through a social media appeal, were allowed to explore their paddock at the park in Warminster with their watchful mother Wilma.

Eloise Kilbane, keeper at Longleat, said: “It’s amazing to see how fast they are developing and fascinating to watch their reactions to the outside world.

“Both of them were initially a little disconcerted by the wet grass and kept trying to wipe the water off their paws. Poppy also got a leaf stuck to her back and couldn’t quite work out how to get it off.”

The cubs, which are the first to be born in the safari park, are officially classed as a vulnerable species and the pair are now part of the European Endangered Species Programme. In 2008 the IUCN estimated there to be around 7,500-10,000 adult cheetahs in Africa and there are concerns the numbers have decreased significantly since then.

“Both mum Wilma and dad Carl have very valuable genetics within the European population as they came to us from a captive breeding population in Pretoria, South Africa,” added Miss Kilbane.

“This means Winston and Poppy are also genetically distinct from the vast majority of the cheetah within Europe, which means their birth is even more important.”

Even though the pair are developing quickly, the cubs will be remain reliant on Wilma for up to two years.