The attraction, near Kincraig, is celebrating the arrival of two litters of wildcat kittens.

Betidh had two kittens in early July closely followed by Seónaid, who had three kittens a couple of weeks later.

The sex of the kittens who made their public bow on Thursday is not yet known so they are yet to be named. Keepers at the park expected to have them sexed within the next couple of weeks.

Morag Sellar, head keeper for the Highland Wildlife Park, said: "We have an excellent history of breeding wildcat kittens at the Highland Wildlife Park. These latest litters have been quite shy and have only started coming out of their box in the last few days.

"They are really playful and are proving to be very popular with our visitors."

When the kittens are three-months-old they will begin to learn how to hunt their prey which includes birds, hares, insects, rabbits and rodents.

Five Wildcat kittens were recently born at the wildlife park at Kincraig and are just starting to face the outside world.

In the wild they remain with their parents until they are self sufficient and then leave to find their own territory.

The wildcat is the last surviving native member of the cat family to be found in the wild in Britain.

Now unique to Scotland, the species has survived by living between mountain and moorland and forest and fields, preying chiefly on rabbits.

The population has been depleted by hybridisation with feral domestic cats, spread of disease, and loss of its natural habitat. Environment Minister Mike Russell, visited Highland Wildlife Park in February to launch the first Scottish Wildcat Survey to take place in 20 years. The survey aims to establish the health and number of the native population of wildcats.

They used to be found throughout Britain until human persecution and loss of habitat resulted in their extinction from England, Wales and southern Scotland in 1880 and the Highlands is now their last refuge.

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