Four nine-week-old northern cheetah cubs have had their first ever health check-ups at Chester Zoo.

The endangered cubs - two boys and two girls - are the only ones of their breed to be born in captivity in the past year.

Along with first-time mother KT, the cubs - who have not yet been named - are said to be doing "really well".

Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals at the zoo, said: “They exist only in a handful of zoos in Europe and so this is not just a great achievement for KT, her cubs and everyone here at the zoo but also really positive news for the future of the species.”

The species is endangered in its native north-east Africa, as they are seen as a threat to livestock by farmers in Namibia.