Feeds throughout the night and teething troubles were just some of the demands faced by Giles Clark when he brought a six week-old black jaguar home.

The trials and tribulations of the Big Cat Sanctuary boss, more familiar to new parents, are followed by a BBC2 crew for a new documentary Big Cats About the House.

"It was a bit like looking after a baby or toddler," said Giles, who took in the cub after she was neglected by her mother.

The conservationist is on a mission to save big cats, 80% of which are endangered, and the Smarden-based sanctuary is home to more than 50 cats, spanning 15 different species.

Its aim is to contribute to global breeding programmes and support conservation projects worldwide.

"I've been so incredibly privileged to have hand-reared big cats," said Giles.

"Jaguars are a unique species and Maya went through her ups and downs when I was looking after her but her beautiful character shone through.

"She had to be fed throughout the night at first and when she was teething she couldn't take her bottle.

"There were the massive growth spurts where she couldn't get enough to eat.

"Maya was inquisitive and playful but in a more robust way than a domestic cat and she left a few big scratches on the sofa."

Giles also looked after cheetah Willow who was finding difficulty integrating back into her family group following an injury. Initially nervous, he worked on developing on her confidence.

Both big cats have moved back into the sanctuary where Willow greets Giles with a contented purr and rubs around his legs when he visits her enclosure.

The cats' circumstances mean that they cannot be released back into the wild.

"They are ambassadors for the species," said Giles.

"People can watch them and get to know and love them and hopefully support our work."

Maya even has her own Instagram and Twitter profiles @Mayathejaguar

• The first episode of the three-part documentary will be screened tonight on BBC2, from 8-9pm