Pics Of The Litter

Retired zoo director John photographs little cats with a big attitude

In May earlier this year the Pallas cat at the Miller Park Zoo, Bloomington, Illinois, USA, gave birth to five kittens. As the retired zoo director, I volunteer to occasionally do their photography. As such, I have a great level of access to the animals, meaning I’m in a fantastic position to catch some incredible moments as they grow up.

The zoo had Pallas cats, three boisterous brothers for several years, but this was the first birth of this species, felis manul, at the zoo. These tiny cats from central Asia may be small but they have a massive attitude, growling and snarling when approached – but it’s mostly just for show.