A zoo has revealed the name and first photos of a rare leopard cub born in captivity.

Zeya, the female Amur leopard cub, was born in Dartmoor Zoo in September and named after the River Zeya, a major tributary of the Amur River, within the animal's native range.

CEO David Gibson said there were fewer than 200 Amur leopards in captivity globally.

“The birth was a major event and now that we know for definite that the cub is healthy and thriving, we can allow ourselves to properly celebrate this major event.

"Watching how Lena [Zeya's mother] has cared for this precious soul in the first few weeks of its life is a real privilege and one that all the staff at the zoo have enjoyed.

"We now want to work on getting both mum and cub on show so our guests can also enjoy this amazing news."