Live Webcam Link: Rare Leopard Cubs Born at Minnesota Zoo

Editor's note: The following is from a press release from the . The leopard cubs are off exhibit at this time, but can be seen in their den via zoo webcam here.

The Minnesota Zoo on Friday announced the birth of two Amur leopard cubs, an endangered species.

This is the first litter born at the zoo since 1995 and is "a significant birth for the conservation of the species," a press release says, which is considered one of the most endangered cats in the world. Less than 40 animals remain in the wild.

The cubs, whose genders are unknown, were born Tuesday, and will remain off exhibit for the next few months to nurse and bond with their mother.

Mom “Polina,” who is 5.5 years old, and dad “Chobby,” age 4, are first-time parents. Polina came to the zoo in 2007 from the Audubon Nature Institute in Louisiana; Chobby came from Olomouc Zoo in the Czech Republic in 2009.

The Minnesota Zoo has one other female Amur leopard.

Amur leopards, managed under a Species Survival Plan® (SSP) through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), are part of the Minnesota Zoo’s Russia’s Grizzly Coast exhibit that opened in 2008.

Minnesota Zoo Director/CEO Lee Ehmke said: “When we opened Russia’s Grizzly Coast in 2008, one of our key goals was to play a direct role in  the conservation of the animals featured in the exhibit. The birth of these two leopard cubs is a tangible realization of that goal."

About Amur Leopards

Amur leopards are silent, sleek, and strong hunters of deep forests.

Their thick coats and long legs help them survive in the cold and snowy climate of eastern Asia.

Strictly carnivores, the Amur leopard’s diet consists mostly of small deer. These stealthy, speedy hunters excel at climbing and jumping.

Living alone, rather than in the company of other Amur leopards, they can keep and defend territories of up to 60 square miles.

But declining deer populations, habitat disruption, and poaching have brought Amur leopards to the brink of extinction.

The Minnesota Zoo Foundation supports Amur leopard conservation through donations and programming.