A zoo in Chicago has released the first photographs of two rare snow leopard cubs born this summer.
Although the public are not able to see the unnamed cubs as they are “bonding with their mother” the animals are the latest addition to a species that numbers just 6,500 in the wild.
The cubs were born on 16 June to four-year-old mother Sarani and five-year-old male Sabu and currently weigh around 10 pounds each, Brookfield Zoo said in a statement.
“Their numbers are declining due to human influence, such as poaching for medicinal markets and hides, depletion of their prey base, retribution killing following livestock losses, residential and commercial development, and civil unrest,” a spokesperson said in the statement.
READ MORE: Japanese zoo drill sees man dressed up as snow leopard
Landmine sanctuary: rare leopard finds haven in the lethal legacy of Iran-Iraq war
Snow leopards can grow to 5ft in length, inhabiting the mountains of Nepal, China, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Mongolia. However, their natural habitat is increasingly under threat due to deforestation and new human settlements.
Unfortunately, because the populations of their natural prey have often been decimated they have been known to kill famers’ livestock, who hunt the animals to protect their animals.
