Hand reared and utterly adorable: The wildcat kitten being raised by human 'mothers' at a zoo

An adorable six-week-old wildcat kitten is being hand reared by zoo staff after being rejected by his mother.



The black-footed cat, the smallest of the African felines, is classified as 'vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.



The male kitten was the first of his species to be born within the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) when he was born on Valentine's Day at Brookfield Zoo.

Rare: This cute little ball of fur is a type of endangered African feline called a Black-footed Cat being hand reared at Brookfield Zoo

Newborn: But just hours after his birth, the kitten's four-year-old mother Cleo failed to exhibit proper maternal care and worried zoo staff were forced to intervene

But just hours after his birth, the kitten's four-year-old mother Cleo failed to exhibit proper maternal care and worried zoo staff were forced to intervene.

Dangerously cold and underweight, they had to put him in an incubator to increase and maintain his body temperature whilst feeding him round the clock.

But all their efforts have saved his life as now six weeks old and gaining weight, the kitten is being fed a milk formula from a small bottle and is starting to eat solid foods.

On the mend: The six-week-old kitten is now being hand reared and fed a milk formula from a small bottle

The kittens parents, mother Cleo and her mate Butch, are both on a breeding loan to Brookfield Zoo to help boost the black-footed cat's numbers

Dr Michael Adkesson, associate veterinarian for the Society, said: 'Even though it was an uphill battle at first, the kitten is now doing extremely well, and we feel comfortable that he is well on his way to living a full and healthy life.'