This is the heartwarming moment a zookeeper uses a toy snake to teach a rare brown hyena cub hunting skills after its mother died.

Footage shows the animal caretaker using a stuffed toy to safely nurture the cub's instincts at Moscow Zoo, Russia, on Wednesday, November 13.

Svetlana Akulova, General Director of the Moscow Zoo, said: 'The first days of our little hyena's life are filled with active exploration, and play is an important part of its development.

'Hyenas are social predators that bite and fight to establish hierarchy and develop hunting skills.

'However, this behaviour can be dangerous when applied to human interactions.'

To address this, the toy snake provides a safe outlet for the cub to develop its instincts without posing a risk.

In the second video, a zookeeper bottle-feeds the cub with a specialised milk substitute.

Akulova added: 'Artificial feeding of rare species is a complex process requiring strict preparation.

'From day one, the cub received milk formulated for its needs, as even slight mishaps can jeopardize such a rare animal's survival.'

Feeding techniques also account for the species' physiology.

Akulova said: 'Hyenas suck by lying on their stomachs and cocking their heads.

'These early days are critical to teach the cub that food comes from the dummy while mimicking natural feeding positions.'

The brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea) is the rarest species of hyena. Native to southern Africa, it is considered a 'near threatened' species by the IUCN, with fewer than 10,000 specimens estimated to be alive.