Final auction ends to name Norfolk zoo cubs

Money raised from the auction will be donated to the Snow Leopard Trust

The third and final online auction held by a Norfolk zoo for people to name snow leopard cubs has ended.

The male and two female cubs were born at Banham Zoo in May.

Zoo keepers could not choose a name so auctioned the naming rights on eBay to raise money for conservation charity the Snow Leopard Trust.

Bidding to name the last female finished on Sunday at £470. The auctions to name her sister and brother together raised more than £1,000.

Someone paid £505 paid to name the female and £511 for the male when bidding finished on Friday night.

The chosen names, which have not yet been announced, will be registered with the international stud book for snow leopards, so will be a permanent record.

The zoo previously said that the person who submitted the winning bid would also get the chance to see the cubs and their keepers.

The cubs will remain at the zoo for at least 18 months after which they will be mature enough to be transferred to other zoos within the European Breeding Programme.

Snow leopards are an endangered species and the zoo has been involved in the European Breeding Programme for this species for more than 25 years.