Two endangered Far East Leopard cubs born in US zoo

In the United States, the St. Louis Zoo welcomed Anna and Irina, cubs of a rare Amur leopard that is on the verge of extinction.

This was reported by CNN.

The cubs were born on April 21 in Dota and Samsonʼs couple. For the next few months, mother Dota and children will stay in a private zoo.

"Dota is a wonderful mother. Itʼs nice to see this new mom taking great care of her cubs. There are so few of these rare big cats left in the world that every birth is extremely important for the survival of the species,” said Steve Bircher, curator of the zooʼs Predator Division.

The cubs were first examined by veterinarians on May 5: each baby weighed a little more than a kilogram. When Anya and Irina become adults, they will weigh from 27 to 56 kilograms.

Four-year-old Samson appeared at the zoo in 2021. Visitors can still see it at the Big Cat exhibition of the zoo. Dota and Samson were encoupled by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which strategically selects Amur leopards to grow a genetically healthy population in North American zoos.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Far Eastern leopard is considered the rarest big cat in the world: about 120 individuals remained in the wild in Russia and China. Amur leopards are on the verge of extinction, although conservation measures have helped increase their numbers. The population has declined sharply due to environmental loss and hunting.