A zoo in western China successfully bred a pair of snow leopard cubs on June 14.

The twins were born on June 14 in the Wildlife Park of Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai province, but the zoo authorities waited two months to announce their birth for fear that they might not survive their first two months, said Qi Xinzhang, deputy curator of the zoo.

"The death rate of leopard newborns is very high in the first months after they are born. So it's an unwritten rule that we can only say the breeding program is a success after the cubs have emerged from the first two months in good health," said Qi.

The cubs are the first born of seven-year-old mother Er Bao and five-year-old father Ning Ning. Previously, the park successfully bred seven snow leopard cubs: three in 1984, a couple of twins in 1985 and another pair of twins in 2012.

So far, the recently born cubs have not had any human contact for fear of disturbing them and the zoo doesn't even have any idea about their gender.

"We plan to introduce them to the public in the middle of September, when they are stronger and more bonded with their mother. Then, we can do a physical examination of the two and learn their gender," said Qi.

The Xining Wildlife Park's artificial breeding of three cubs in 1984 marked China's first captive-breeding program for snow leopards. The zoo is now home to eight adult snow leopards, making it the largest facility of its kind in China.

The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle has had snow leopards since 1972. The first pair came from the Soviet Union and died. In 2012, three snow leopard cubs were born at the zoo. One of the cubs died, but the remaining two, Asha and Shanti, have done well.

- China Daily

(China Daily USA 09/12/2014 page19)