Two mother cheetahs gave birth to ten adorable cubs last week - and all they want to do is play.

The enormous litter was welcomed into the world at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C.. Footage of the new cute cubs shows them rolling around in hay and playing with their siblings.

Three-year-old Happy gave birth to five healthy cheetahs on March 23 while Miti, a seven-year-old jungle cat, gave birth to seven sweet cubs just five days later.

Sadly, two of Miti's cubs were smaller and less active at the time of birth and died a short time after they arrived - a tragedy that is common in such large litters.

The rest of the cubs are said to be nursing successfully and their mothers are doing well. Each litter includes two males and three female cubs.

'The average litter size is three, so this time we've got an incredible pile of cubs,' said Adrienne Crosier, SCBI cheetah biologist and manager of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Cheetah Species Survival Plan (SSP), which matches cheetahs across the population for breeding.

'In just one week, we increased the number of cheetahs at SCBI by 50 percent. Each and every cub plays a significant role in improving the health of the population of cheetahs in human care and represents hope for the species overall.'


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