They may be one of the most powerful predators on the planet – but these incredible pictures prove that tigers definitely have a soft side.

Taken at Liberec Zoo in the Czech Republic, they show a family of rare white tigers having a cuddle.

There are two four-month-old cubs, Shankar and Maia, and they’ve been captured snuggling and playing with mum Surya Bara.

She has a look of complete contentment as the inquisitive youngsters snooze with her, yawn and clean their paws.

White tigers, which have lived at the zoo since 1994, are a rare variant of the Indian tiger, their colour resulting from a lack of skin pigment.

And visitors clearly think the resident family is a bit of all white – as they’ve been coming in record numbers to see them, according to a zoo spokesperson.

They may be one of the most powerful predators on the planet – but these incredible pictures prove that tigers definitely have a soft side

There are two four-month-old cubs, Shankar and Maia, and they’ve been captured snuggling and playing with mum Surya Bara

Mum Surya Bara has look of complete contentment as the inquisitive youngsters snooze with her, yawn and clean their paws

In this image one of the cubs goes on cleaning duty and gives mum’s ear a lick – and paws her eye at the same time

Cleaning time: One of the cubs has a nibble on its paw as mum snoozes peacefully next to it

Source: dailymail.co.uk