Critically endangered Amur leopard cubs born at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Just a few weeks after welcoming Charlotte the baby gorilla, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is announcing two more adorable additions.
Two critically endangered Amur leopard cubs were born on March 18 to Semba, a first-time mom.
"Semba was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo herself and we're so glad to see the next generation join us. She's such a good mom," Karen Vacco, the Assistant Curator of Mammals at the Zoo, said. "Aside from digital monitoring of the denning area, we're letting them bond. They're doing well, the babies are nursing and growing just like they should."
The cubs won't be on public view until they are old enough to get their vaccinations and able to navigate the outdoor habitat, zoo officials said. They are expected to get their second-round of vaccines in June; however, it will be up to Semba and her cubs as to when they feel comfortable enough to leave the den after that.
"It will be up to Semba when she's ready to leave the den, and also up to the cubs to follow their mom out into the habitat," Vacco said. "We let them choose when they're ready to explore."
In the meantime, the zoo wants your help naming the babies. Like the naming of Charlotte, the public can make a donation of $5 to submit two names for consideration. The top suggestions will then go for final consideration by the zoo staff.
If you would like to submit an entry, visit this link.
The cubs are a welcome addition to the leopard population. Zoo officials say that "Amur leopards are considered one of the rarest subspecies of cats on Earth."
They are native to China and Russia and only about 100 are surviving in the wild, the zoo said. Their relatives, the African leopard is considered a threatened subspecies as well.
"The cubs are a welcome addition to the species as a whole," zoo officials said.
