
Watch out for cute overload as Kobe Animal Kingdom reveals videos and photos of their new baby sand cats!
Kobe Animal Kingdom, a zoological and botanical park located in Hyogo Prefecture in the Kansai region, recently announced the happy news that a male baby sand cat was born on their grounds on August 23.
Sand cats are a small species of wild cat that live in the desert in areas ranging from northern Africa to western and central Asia, and their small, adorable appearance has earned them the nickname “angel of the desert” with animal lovers in Japan, so you can imagine how sweet they would look as babies.
Sure enough, while we’ve seen our share of cute animal videos and photos, when we checked out the images released by Kobe Animal Kingdom we were quite at a loss for words to express how devastatingly adorable the baby sand cat is.
【ビッグニュース!】神戸どうぶつ王国 に待望の
— 神戸どうぶつ王国 (@kobe_doubutsu) August 31, 2020
スナネコの赤ちゃんが生まれました!https://t.co/Nel9jknbe5
8/23生まれの元気な男の子です。すくすく成長中!公開が決まりましたらぜひ、会いに来てくださいね♫#神戸どうぶつ王国 #スナネコ #赤ちゃん #すくすく pic.twitter.com/OYumwWVGk6
So tiny and furry …. we can easily see how it was given the nickname of an “angel.” When the baby sand cat was born, it was just 15 centimeters (6 inches) long and weighed only 59.6 grams (2.1 ounces).
▼ This shows the baby sand cat’s face being wiped after it was fed milk.
スナネコの赤ちゃん
— 神戸どうぶつ王国 (@kobe_doubutsu) September 3, 2020
ミルクの後は顔を拭いてもらいますhttps://t.co/Nel9jknbe5#スナネコ #赤ちゃん #神戸どうぶつ王国 #8月23日生まれ #男の子 #スナネコ王子 #元気に育て #ミルク飲む #ごちそうさま pic.twitter.com/qj3g6WJhtQ
▼ A tweet on September 4 shows the cat’s right eye barely open. Isn’t that just darling? According to the information released by the park, both eyes opened the following day, at 13 days old.
あ、右目が開いてる。スナネコ赤ちゃん日々成長してしています。https://t.co/Nel9jknbe5#スナネコ #赤ちゃん #神戸どうぶつ王国 #開眼 #スナネコ王子 #頼もしい pic.twitter.com/NMkKKNvGDj
— 神戸どうぶつ王国 (@kobe_doubutsu) September 4, 2020
As it so happens, the mother in this case has abandoned taking care of the baby cat, so the kitten is being hand raised by the park staff.
おやすみ王子さま・・・#スナネコ赤ちゃん #スナネコ #赤ちゃん #神戸どうぶつ王国 #スナネコ王子#ミルク飲んだら寝ちゃった #しあわせhttps://t.co/Nel9jknbe5 pic.twitter.com/kWv4Tc7B0q
— 神戸どうぶつ王国 (@kobe_doubutsu) September 6, 2020
Fortunately, the baby sand cat is feeding and growing well. Kobe Animal Kingdom is only the second zoo in Japan to be rearing a newborn sandcat, following its affiliate Nasu Animal Kingdom, which welcomed a baby sand cat earlier this year in April, followed by three more kittens in July. Kobe Animal Kingdom’s newborn sand cat, which hasn’t been given a name yet, is the first to be born at the facility.
Kobe Animal Kingdom haven’t yet announced when they will start showing the baby cat to the public, so we’ll be looking forward to that information when it comes out. Until then, we can be purrr-fectly happy watching the videos and photos they share on their various social media outlets.
スナネコの赤ちゃん
— 神戸どうぶつ王国 (@kobe_doubutsu) September 2, 2020
けっこう動きます❤️https://t.co/Nel9jknbe5#スナネコ #赤ちゃん #神戸どうぶつ王国 #8月23日生まれ #男の子 #スナネコ王子 #元気に育て #うねうね動く pic.twitter.com/g8lfyvXNTj
▼ Here’s a video posted on Kobe Animal Kingdom’s YouTube channel eight days after the sand cat was born. Just lovely!
And if you’ve fallen in love with sand cats with the notion that they’d make an adorable pet, you’ll want to heed this message on Kobe Animal Kingdom’s website: “Sand cats are wild animals. Although they may look very cute, they have sharp fangs and an aggressive nature and are not suitable as pets. Please do not think of keeping them as pets.” Yup, we’ll keep that in mind.
Source: Kobe Animal Kingdom website, Twitter/@kobe_doubutsu, YouTube/Kobe Animal Kingdom
Top image: YouTube/Kobe Animal Kingdom
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]

Videos of Japanese cats sucking their own paws melts the Internet’s heart【Videos】
Nara Park’s first baby deer of the year has been born, is totally adorable【Video】
Newborn baby capybaras and proud mama pose for pictures at Nagasaki Bio Park 【Photos】
Majority of Japanese mayors say foreign residents are essential but most see good and bad effects
Four Shinto shrines to pray for love at in Japan to start the New Year
Top Secret Cookie Recipe Finally Comes to Light
Start saving room now – Japanese grocery store’s biggest sushi roll yet is coming for Setsubun
We use the Seishun 18 Ticket to travel from Japan to Korea by ferry
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
Cup Noodle mystery meat instant rice returns to Japanese stores after a seven-year absence
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
7 great places to see Mt. Fuji from without having to climb it
We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district
Cup Noodle tries an authentic Jiro-style ramen, but something’s not quite right
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
Japan’s oldest largetooth sawfish in captivity back on display in Mie Prefecture
Cyberpunk anime meets traditional culture in Ghost in the Shell gold leaf Japanese changing screens
The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026
We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Heart-meltingly adorable kitten twins share bed, and Internet’s love【Videos】
Cat in the desert becomes latest optical illusion to wow the internet in Japan
Japanese cat who can’t sleep unless it chats with owner melts hearts across the Internet
Adorable cats from Japan impede drum practice, get our hearts drumming too【Video】
Small children have magnetic “cat-attracting” ability, adorable photos from Japan show
Rock a baby goat to sleep, admission is free: Cute challenge goes viral online 【Videos】
Japanese Twitter falls in love with trash cat who jumps out of trash can【Video】
Playful leaping cat melts hearts online as it entreats its fellow feline to play
Sinister cat trips up toddler walking past【Video】
Adorable video shows a bunch of cats tracking a stink bug flying back and forth across the room
Leave a Reply