ST. LOUIS — A pair of Amur leopard cubs at the Saint Louis Zoo is celebrating a big milestone. Sisters Anya and Irina turned 1 year old on Friday.
"For a year now, the sisters have been seen climbing trees, playing with each other, and exploring their habitats," the Saint Louis Zoo said in a social media post celebrating their birthdays.
The once-tiny cubs have grown to weigh about 62 pounds each.
The pair were the first Amur leopard cubs born at the Zoo since 2010. Their parents, Dot and Samson, were paired on a breeding recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Amur Leopard Species Survival Plan.
In a blog post on the zoo's website, Saint Louis Zoo Carnivore Keeper Jackie McGarrahan said watching the sisters' story unfold has been the highlight of her career.
"Anya and Irina have really developed their own personalities in the last year," McGarrahan wrote. "Irina may have been the first to get out of the nest box and the first to adventure outside, but Anya has become the bolder of the two. Irina is more reserved but still isn’t afraid to tell you what she wants. Spoiler alert: its food. They are eating machines!"
Amur leopards are one of the most endangered cat species in the world, the zoo said, with fewer than 100 remaining in the coniferous forests of far eastern Russia's Primorye Province.
The zoo called their births "a significant contribution to their species population in North American zoos."
The Amur leopard exhibit can be found in Big Cat Country, which is in the Saint Louis Zoo's Red Rocks zone. Other big cat species at the zoo include African lions, Amur tigers, jaguars, pumas and snow leopards.
