Canada Day cuteness: Snow leopard cubs to make debut at Assiniboine Park Zoo
Public invited to take part in naming poll for 8-week-old cubs
Don your red hat and apply your white sunscreen and head to Assiniboine Zoo this weekend — the snow leopard cubs will make their first public appearance.
Now an adorable eight weeks old, the pair of male cubs have spent the past two months bonding with their mother, Baku, and father, Akar, and exploring their enclosure.
The zoo's curator of animal care called the cubs' debut exciting.
"They have had a lot of time to grow and become strong while staying indoors with mom," said Allison Ginsburg. "We're so happy that they are outside just in time for the long weekend."
As they usually do with baby animals born at the park, the zoo is inviting the public to help name the new felines in an online poll.
Name options for Cub #1:
- Kaz — short for Kazakhstan.
- Kuna — meaning "good character" in Hindi.
- Kaash — meaning "expression of a wish" in Russian.
- Kashi — meaning "shining" in Hindi.
Name options for Cub #2:
- Arka — of Indian origin meaning "sun."
- Jixi — city in China.
- Altai — highest mountain in Mongolia.
- Makalu — fifth-highest mountain peak in the world, located in the Himalayas.
The poll ends at noon on Tuesday, July 3, with the results announced the following day.
The zoo is extending their hours until 8 p.m. on Sunday.
