Cute Alert: Meet Niabi Zoo’s Adorable New Leopard Kittens
Baby animals are almost always adorable and the Niabi Zoo just welcomed two Amur Leopard cubs!
The two cubs are the babies of parents Jilin and Iona. Amur Leopards are considered to be critically endangered, actually the most critically endangered big cat in the world. A Facebook post by Niabi Zoo says there are less than 100 of them left in the wild. To make the cubs' birth even more remarkable, so far this year, the Zoo says there have not been reports of captive breeding for Amur Leopards. Last year, only 7 of the leopards were born in the U.S.
Amur Leopards live in forests in the Russian Far East. In the wild, they usually live 10-15 years. In captivity, they can live up to 20 years.
Niabi Zoo was chosen by the Amur Leopard Species Survival planning group in 2019 to receive and house Amur Leopards, and to mate with the Zoo's eligible male Amur Leopard, Jilin. The female leopard, Iona, was brought to the Zoo in July from the Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens.
The new leopard parents are first-time parents and the Facebook post from the Zoo says they are doing well! The cubs' mother, Iona, actually gave birth to three cubs but unfortunately, one of them only survived for a few days.
The Zoo says Iona is proving to be an "exceptional mother that has been vigilant with her cubs".
Congratulations to the new parents, Jilin and Iona, and everyone working to take care of the leopards at the Zoo! How cute are the babies??
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