The Bronx Zoo has welcomed twin male snow leopard cubs that are part of a breeding program to further diversity in zoo animal populations.
Born May 6, the pair of cubs can be seen in the zoo's outdoor Himalayan Highlands exhibit, the New York Daily News reported. The cubs' parents are first-timers and have been part of the Species Survival Plan program, an initiative intended to increase genetic diversity in animal populations in zoos around the country.
The first zoo in America to display snow leopards, the Bronx Zoo has exhibited the majestic cats since 1903 and has seen more than 70 snow leopard births, topping any other zoo in the country.
The spotted animals are categorized as endangered and considered especially vulnerable within that classification since just 3,500 to 7,500 are believed to be living in the wild. Snow leopards inhabit remote mountains of Central Asia and parts of China, Mongolia, Russia, India and Bhutan, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The WCS has been striving to conserve the snow leopard population in Afghanistan since 2006, partnering with the Afghan government to protect the endangered big cats through laws and regulations. The country announced in April that Wakhan National Park would become Afghanistan's second protected area for snow leopards. The park now preserves more than 70 percent of the snow leopard habitat in Afghanistan.
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