Baby fishing cat born at Newquay Zoo seen for first time

The kitten was pictured guarded by its mother in its enclosure

A baby wild cat has gone on view for the first time at the zoo where it was born.

The first images of the fishing cat have been released by Newquay Zoo after it was born in February.

The wild cat, which is native to south and south east Asia, has a combination of spots and stripes and eats fish, frogs and crustaceans.

Zoo keepers said they hoped the kitten's appearance would introduce people to a lesser-known species.

The fishing cat is a wild cat native to south Asia

The kitten's mother, named Freya, has been keeping it out of sight for the first few weeks while it began to eat solid food.

Dave Rich, keeper team leader, said: "The number of fishing cats in the wild is declining due to pollution and destruction of their natural habitats - such as swamps, marshes, lakes and mangrove forests...

"It is great to be able to help increase the number of fishing cats worldwide, and also introduce people to this lesser-known species.

"Both mum and baby are doing well, and we can't wait to see it as it grows in both size and confidence, and starts to fully explore the enclosure."

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