These kittens are going to kill you with cuteness!
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is home to Arwen and Sawyer, two cats with incredible hunting skills. These black-footed cats have an astounding 60% hunting success rate. The zoo recently became home to a new pair of what the Smithsonian hails as “the world’s deadliest super cats” when the feline couple gave birth to a boy, Ryder, and a girl, Skyler.
“This allows us to make sure that the cats don’t associate our hands with food — so we avoid bites,” the park’s wildlife care specialist, Chelsea Davis. “But also to make sure that we’re far enough distance back that the cats feel comfortable approaching us for their food.”
The breed, named for their black-padded soles and hair, are both among the feline world’s best hunters. Ryder and Skyler won’t weigh more than 2 to 3 pounds once fully mature. This makes black-footed cats — which are native to Botswana, Namibia and South Africa — among the smallest in the world.
Their size does not correlate with their large appetites as one black-footed cat can consume up to 14 rodents and birds a night, according to the zoo. By comparison, lions only catch their prey 25% of the time.