AssetID: 55783218
Headline: Endangered snow leopard twins born at Scottish wildlife park
Caption: Two rare snow leopard cubs have been born at a Scottish wildlife park in a major boost for the vulnerable species. The adorable twins arrived at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Highland Wildlife Park on May 25 – the first snow leopard litter born at the attraction in four years. First-time mum Pari gave birth to the cubs after months of careful introductions with dad Koshi, delighting keepers at the conservation centre near Kingussie. Heartwarming footage released by the park shows Pari tenderly nursing the tiny cubs inside their den. The pair will spend the first few weeks of life hidden away before gradually venturing to the entrance of the den, where visitors may catch their first glimpse of them in the coming weeks. Lucy Petrie, animal care manager at Highland Wildlife Park, said: "After months of carefully introducing Koshi and Pari and giving nature the opportunity to take its course, we're delighted to see that patience pay off. "We are really looking forward to our visitors meeting them as they grow and take their first steps outside of the den in the next few weeks." Snow leopard cubs are born blind and usually do not open their eyes until around a week after birth. For the first two months they rely entirely on their mother's milk before gradually beginning to eat meat as they develop. Keepers are closely monitoring Pari as she raises her first litter. Lucy added: "Pari is a first-time mum, so we are keeping a close eye on how she is coping. Her instincts have kicked in and she is doing a wonderful job of raising the cubs." In the wild, snow leopards are solitary animals and mothers raise their young alone. To mirror that natural behaviour, Koshi is currently being kept separate from Pari and the cubs until they are old enough to be introduced. The sex of the twins is not yet known and will be confirmed during their first veterinary health check. Conservationists say the births are particularly significant because snow leopard numbers are declining in the wild. Lucy said: "While the cuteness is an excellent reason to be excited, it's even better for the snow leopard population, which is decreasing in the wild. "These new faces are going to be great ambassadors for their wild relatives, helping raise awareness of the challenges this beautiful and enigmatic species face every day."
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