Public can meet Toronto Zoo's two snow leopard cubs, starting Saturday

Article content

Who doesn’t like baby snow leopards?

The Toronto Zoo will begin allowing guests to see its two snow leopard cubs — Zoya and Minu — on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in their outdoor habitat.

The zoo says Zoya, which is Nepali for life/alive, was born first and has become a bit of a mommy’s girl — to mother Jita — while Minu, which is Nepali for precious gem/gemstone, is the more independent one.

The zoo also reported that Jita continues to be an excellent mom and will even share her bones with the girls. However, now that they are a bit older — five months — she is setting boundaries.

The snow leopard cubs remained huddled in their indoor behind-the-scenes habitat until zoo personnel gave them all their necessary vaccines.

The snow leopard, also known as the “ghost cat,” is elusive in the wild and is listed as a “vulnerable” species with only an estimated 4,000-6,500 remaining.

The Toronto Zoo participates in a snow leopard breeding program — 16 snow leopards have been born at the attraction — with other accredited North American facilities.

Through the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy’s Adopt an Animal program, people can symbolically adopt a Toronto Zoo snow leopard.