A litter of extremely rare brown hyenas has been born at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park.

Unlike their more common spotted cousins, brown hyenas are a smaller breed and are largely scavengers.

With only an estimated 10,000 living in the wild mainly in the Kalahari and Namibian deserts of southern Africa, there are fewer than 50 brown hyenas registered in captivity in Europe and about 100 worldwide.

Adrian Harland, the Hythe park’s animal director said: “In April we were the first park in the UK to bring a pair of brown hyenas over from Prague and we are delighted that we are now welcoming the first litter of these incredibly rare animals.

“In keeping with the playful personalities of their parents, the as-yet-unnamed cubs have already shown themselves to be bursting with energy and full of life. We look forward to growing this family of very special hyenas in the coming years.”

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