WATCH: Three-week old snow leopard cubs settle into life at Marwell Zoo as birth marks exciting milestone
Watch as three-week old snow leopard cubs settle into life at Marwell
Marwell Zoo has said it is “delighted” to confirm Zaya - the snow leopard - has given birth to two cubs, with adorable footage showing the new-borns.
The Hampshire animal park previously announced Zaya had given birth on its website but said the team were unable to confirm how many cubs there were.
In a social media post on June 7, Marwell provided a further update, saying: “We're delighted to share that our snow leopard, Zaya, gave birth to two cubs on 20th May. This birth is a significant milestone as this is Zaya's first litter and the first snow leopard cubs born here at the zoo in more than a decade.
“While mum and cubs are doing well, it is still very early days, and this remains a critical stage in their development. To give Zaya the calm environment she needs, barriers are in place around the habitat and visitors are unlikely to catch a glimpse of the cubs anytime soon. Marwell is committed to big cat conservation both in the zoo and in the wild.
The conservation programme, which is an initiative run by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, maintains populations for over 500 different species including the red-handed tamarin, grevy's zebra and the slender-horned gazelle.
It will be several weeks before the cub/cubs will be big enough to leave the cubbing box, with the team of zookeepers taking a “hands-off approach” to try and replicate the birthing experience Zaya would have in the wild.