Marwell Zoo reveals adorable names of snow leopard cubs

Two snow leopard cubs born at Marwell Zoo are celebrating their 13-week milestone, with keepers reporting that both are thriving.

Four-year-old father Warjun was introduced to three-year-old Zaya after she arrived at Marwell last year as part of the European conservation breeding programme. Their successful pairing has now resulted in the birth of the two cubs.

The male has been named Momo, the Tibetan word for ‘dumpling’, while his sister is called Nima, meaning ‘sun’.

The cubs represent an important success for the global conservation of this species as snow leopards are currently classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List.

Facing a range of threats, there are only 3,000 snow leopards left in the wild and the birth of the cubs is particularly significant for Marwell, as they are the first snow leopards to be born at the Hampshire zoo since 2013.

Senior carnivore keeper, Ashleigh Ball, said: “The cubs, who were born in May, have had a second round of vaccinations to protect them from diseases and a 13-week general health checkup which they passed with flying colours.

“The cubs and Zaya have had a natural, quiet space to bond as a family since they were born, with access to their outdoor habitat whenever they choose. It's important that the family have been able to explore at their own pace.

"Now the cubs are bigger and growing in confidence every day, they're becoming much more adventurous. They can still choose whether to spend time inside or outside, but they're increasingly curious about their surroundings, and visitors now have an even better chance of seeing them.”