TWO adorable new additions to South Lakes Safari Zoo are winning over the hearts of thousands of visitors.

Snow leopards, Miska and Nastasja, who were born on June 11 at the Dalton zoo, have been exploring their new den in front of families who have flocked to meet the distinctive cats during the summer holiday period.

Mark Conway, one of the zookeepers who has been keeping a watchful eye on the lovable duo, praised the twins' parents Kadi and Wolfgang, who have shown nothing but love and care for their newborn cubs.

He said: "We couldn't have asked for better parents; they have been absolutely tremendous. Kadi has been really attentive to their needs but she is also allowing them to develop and become more independent by leaving them on their own.

"However, if they are going anywhere they shouldn't be she always grabs them by the scruff of their necks and brings them back inside so she is really protective of them. Wolfgang tends to have a bit of fun by playing with them a bit more so it's fair to say that mum definitely rules the roost in this enclosure.

"Out of all the big cats that we've got here they are the most responsive species so it's nice for us to have gained their trust. They really appreciate that human contact because they know that we are not going to harm them."

Snow leopards are used to living in the mountainous regions of Central Asia and have been labelled as an endangered species following a drop in sightings of the big cats. In the wild, they can expect to live for up to four-and-a-half years, however in captivity, they have been known to live up to the age of 22.

Zookeeper Yasmin-Nastasja Walker, whose first name was used as inspiration for one of the cubs, admits that this particular species has sparked a lot of interest with paying customers.

She said: "They have become a really popular addition because they can't be found in any zoos in the north of the country. The visitors love it when we do the hand feeding and I've found that it's the adults who love the big cats more than the kids."

Miska and Nastasja will continue to develop at the Dalton zoo before they are relocated to another enclosure in the UK as part of a breeding programme.

READ MORE: WITH VIDEO: Two adorable baby snow leopards unveiled to the public after being born at Dalton zoo

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