These three snow leopard cubs were born at the Nordens Ark zoo in Bohuslän, Sweden on May 31. A webcam in their den is beaming their daily activities around the world to help raise awareness for the endangered cat.
The three cubs, two boys and a girl, currently spend much of their time sleeping. Their spotted camouflage often makes it difficult to make out the individual cubs as they cuddle for warmth.
Snow leopards are a famously elusive species, making field observations difficult. It wasn’t until 1970 that they were photographed for the first time in the wild, and since then scientists have only been able to gather snapshots of their solitary lives in Central Asia. Their wild population is estimated to be fewer than 7,500, according to the International Snow Leopard Trust. Although protected, they are still hunted occasionally by poachers for their fur and bones, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Captive-born snow leopards have never been released into the wild because biologists don't know if it could be done safely. At Nordens Ark, zoologists will watch the mother and cubs to learn more about their behavior, in hopes they will be able to apply that knowledge in the wild.
Nordens Ark is a non-profit organization whose mission is to study and breed endangered species. They hope their captive snöleopard breeding program, which provided another round of cubs in 2008, will help these shy cats come back from the brink. Thankfully, they’re letting us watch alongside them.
