World’s DEADLIEST (and cutest) wildcat makes a comeback in Texas: Thirteen adorable black-footed cats are born at sanctuary in Glen Rose

The destructive and adorable black-footed cats are making a comeback at a Texas nature center.

Thirteen of these deadly black-footed cats have been born at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose since 2019.

Rhaegal, 9, and Morgan, 12, two of the seven black-footed cats at the sanctuary, are currently being tried as breeding partners at the zoo.

‘They don’t get to choose who they want to mate with based on appearance; it’s about who will create the most genetically diverse offspring,” says carnivore curator Amanda Collins.

If Rhae and Morgan are not a match, the animal center will introduce the cat to another male of the species called Smidgen.

This action may be one of the reasons why Fossil Rim is the best North American breeding facility for black-footed cats.

Rhaegal, 9, and Morgan, 12, two of the shelter’s seven black-footed cats, are possible breeding partners at the zoo

If Rhae and Morgan are not a match, the animal center will introduce the cat to another male of the species called Smidgen.

The 1,800-acre nature center began housing black-footed cats in 2014 before the first kittens were born five years later on March 29.

‘We wanted to add a new species for which we felt we could make a difference; participate in breeding and help a program,” says fellow carnivore curator Jason Ahistus in a blog post.

The program Ahistus is referring to is the Black-footed Cat Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program.

Today, two of the black-footed animals can be found in the center’s Children’s Animal Center and the others can be seen during behind-the-scenes tours of the Intensive Management Area.

Fossil Rim has given a number of black-footed cats to places like the Kansas City Zoo and New York’s Prospect Park Zoo.

Another kitten, Gaia, went to the Hogle Zoo in Utah and has since gained a lot of attention on social media.

Gaia may look innocent, but in reality she and other black-footed cats’quite persistent.’

The 1,800-acre nature center began housing black-footed cats in 2014 before the first kittens were born five years later on March 29.

One of the black-footed cats born at the nature center, Gaia, has gained attention on social media after her birth last May

According to Texas Monthlythe animals are ‘the most successful hunter of all wild cats.’

The animals can catch more prey than leopards in a six-month period.

They can also defend themselves against animals ‘eight times their size’.

The black-footed cats are adept at camouflaging themselves while hunting, and they also have strong hearing and night vision.

Although the cats are avid hunters, their species was listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2002.

As of 2019, there are only about 10,000 black-footed cats left in the wild, and 28 of those animals live in North America.

According to Texas Monthly, the animals are “the most successful hunter of all wild cats.” The animals can catch more prey than leopards in a six-month period

The black-footed cats are adept at camouflage themselves while hunting and also have strong hearing and night vision

“One of our goals is to raise awareness of the species as a whole because we really need support from the public,” said Hogle veterinarian Janice Thompson.

‘It is the rarest African cat. We are working very hard to increase their numbers.

“Thompson all praised the nature center for their care of the black-footed cats, including Gaia, who currently lives at the Hogle Zoo.

“Fossil Rim has been so successful with their breeding program,” Thompson said.

‘That’s partly because it happens behind the scenes and the cats have a lot of privacy.’

Daily Mail has contacted the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center for comment.