This is a good news for all feline lovers: an endangered big cat family has two new members.

Two snow leopard cubs, born at Xining Wildlife Park in northwest China's Qinghai Province 11 months ago, made their official debut on April 27, 2020. 

Born last May to their mother Er'bao, a 13-year-old adult snow leopard rescued in 2007, the twin sisters, weighing about 25.5 kg and 23.5 kg, are the only existing captive-bred snow leopard twins in China, said Qi Xinzhang, vice director of the park. 

The twins are yet to be named, so the park is collecting names from netizens on Weibo. 

The twins are the second and third snow leopard cubs born in captivity in China. In 2016, a female snow leopard cub named Ao Xue was born in Xining Wildlife Park. 

The twins are in good health condition. Qi explained the park has set up 24 hour monitoring system to ensure their survival and health. 

Wild snow leopards usually live in alpine regions at an elevation of over 3,500 meters, which has put forward strict requirements on temperature and humidity for captive animals, Qi noted.

The park established the country's first and only breeding base for snow leopards in 2010, which includes nine houses and a playground of 1,800 square meters.

"The birth of these two cubs shows the artificial breeding of the species is maturing, which not only helps increase the population of captive snow leopards but also better protect the felines," Qi said. When the number of snow leopards in captivity is significant, he expects them to be released into the wild. 

Snow leopards are a Class A protected animal in China and are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They mainly inhabit the Himalayas in central and southern Asia at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 meters. China has the largest range of this species. 

(All photos via VCG unless otherwise credited)

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