Regulars at the San Diego Zoo have gotten used to seeing Amur leopard cubs, but the rest of the world has not.
Two of the big cats were born recently, the third such local litter since April 2018. All of the cubs were born to mom Satka and dad Oskar, who are now the proud parents of six cubs. Both of the unnamed babies are doing well, according to Gaylene Thomas, who is the wildlife care manager at the San Diego Zoo.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the progress made by the cubs,” said Thomas. “They have grown so much, and have already started showcasing their unique personalities. The cubs will get their first full veterinary exam soon, and we will know more, including their sex.”
What is known now is that the cubs have two big brothers and two big sisters, who are all part of what is now a known worldwide population of less than 300 Amur leopards.
"Once numerous throughout northeastern China, Russia and the Korean Peninsula, there are currently fewer than 300 Amur leopards left on earth, and fewer than 100 remain in their historic range in the Primorye region of the Russian Far East," the zoo stated in a news release issued on Tuesday morning. "The rest are in managed human care."
The two newest cubs recently made their public debut, when Satka brought them from their birthing den out to their enclosure, giving zoo-goers their first sighting.
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