[VIDEO] Two New Snow Leopard Cubs in Chicago

Two new snow leopard cubs entered the world and Chicago's Brookfield Zoo on June 16, the Chicago Zoological Society recently announced. The cubs will make their debut at the zoo in mid-October; until then, they are getting to know each other and bonding with their mother.

The cubs were born to their 4-year-old mother, Sarani. Their father was a five-year-old named Sabu. Both adults arrived at the zoo in 2011. According to the Chicago Zoological Soceiety (CSZ), their mating was a recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP). In North America, there are 143 snow leopards living in 63 institutions, and the Brookfield Zoo has housed this type of big cat since 1936. 

A video of the newborns can be found online.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), snow leopards (Panthera uncial) are considered endangered. The species resides in the high mountain areas of Central Asia. The Snow Leopard Trust estimates that there are roughly 4,000 and 6,500 wild snow leopards left.

While their population is experiencing declines from human influences, such as poaching and land development, a study published in the journal Biological Conservation suggests that livestock populations may also be affecting wild snow leopards.

"A landscape offers limited resources, and the snow leopard's wild prey species are competing for these resources with domestic livestock. If there is too much livestock grazing, wild ungulate populations may eventually disappear. The cats would then be deprived of their preferred food source," lead author Rishi Sharma explained in a statement.

In addition to the many global conservation efforts, the CZS administers the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund, which supports conservation-oriented research. 

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