Two rare albino lion cubs have been filmed at a zoo in the Ukraine where they were born.

Staff at the Yalta zoo were expecting ordinary lion cubs, as their mother is tawny-coloured, but the cubs were born pure white.

Yalta Zoo veterinarian Alexander Dyakov said: "We expected that the cubs would be beige or straw-coloured, the natural colour lions, but we were really, really pleasantly surprised.

"That is, it's a great rarity for Ukraine, for Europe, for the whole world, white lions are a real rarity. And we have two female lion cubs, absolutely healthy, absolutely strong. We'll wait for them to grow up and be exhibited."

The cubs live in the zoo director's office for the time being, where they are brushed and fed formula milk from baby bottles.

The young lions are said to be growing big, strong and healthy.