Zoo announces birth of two leopard cubs from critically endangered species

The birth of two critically endangered Amur leopard cubs has been announced by the Saint Louis Zoo. The female infants are the zoo's first litter since 2010. Their births benefit the Amur leopard population in North American zoos, which is one of the world's most endangered cats. The zoo has taken to their official Twitter handle in order to share some photos of these newborn cubs along with the happy news.

According to the official website of the World Wildlife Fund or WWF, the Amur leopards, as a species, are critically endangered. The Amur leopard is environmentally, commercially, and culturally significant. Other species, such as Amur tigers and prey species like deer, benefit from its habitat conservation.

In the two posts shared on Twitter by the Saint Louis Zoo, one gets to know the details behind the birth of these cubs. “We are delighted to announce two critically endangered Amur leopard cubs were born at the Zoo! Dorothy gave birth to Anya (AH-nah) and Irina (eye-REE-nah) on Thursday, April 21. Their births give hope to this critically endangered species,” they wrote.

This video was uploaded on Twitter on May 19 and has received over 400 likes so far. It has also received various comments.

“So beautiful,” commented a Twitter user. “They were born on my birthday,” happily wrote a second. “Kittens,” pointed out a third.

But did you wonder who the father of the little cubs is? The zoo details in another post, “Samson is the father of the new Amur leopard cubs at the Zoo. He moved to the Zoo in 2021 upon a breeding recommendation by @Zoos_Aquariums. Both Samson and mother Dot are four years old, and this is their first litter together!”

Don't you want to congratulate the happy Amur leopard couple on the birth of their first litter together?