Twin snow leopard cubs

Rosamond Gifford Zoo welcomed twin snow leopard cubs born on May 30.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. » The Rosamond Gifford Zoo introduced twin snow leopard cubs that were born May 30 and welcomed them into the zoo’s Snow Leopard Exhibit on Thursday, Sept. 20.

Twin male cubs Ozzy and Strut and their parents, Senge and first-time mom Daania, represent a critically endangered species. The twins are the fourth and fifth snow leopard cubs born at the zoo since 2012 as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for snow leopards overseen by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney congratulated the zoo on the birth of the twins and the zoo’s participation in the SSP.

“Snow leopards are among the most rare of the big cats, so having these cubs born here is a great accomplishment for the zoo and for our entire community,” Mahoney said. “I am very proud of our zoo staff and the work they do on behalf of this and many other endangered species.”

Past snow leopard cubs born at the zoo have gone on to other AZA zoos as part of the SSP. The last cub, Asa, born in 2014, is now at the Milwaukee County Zoo, where he is being paired with a female from Zoo Zurich in Switzerland.

The Species Survival Plan works to pair unrelated animals from a diverse gene pool in the interest of producing healthy offspring to increase the population. Fewer than 7,000 snow leopards are estimated to exist in their native habitat, the high mountains of Central Asia. There are about 250 in accredited zoos in North America.

Ozzy and Strut are named for characters in “The Land Before Time” movies, which keepers chose as a theme for naming zoo babies born during the zoo’s summer-long Dinosaur Invasion!

“Snow leopards are among the most rare of the big cats, so having these cubs born here is a great accomplishment for the zoo and for our entire community. I amvery proud of our zoos taff and the work they do on behalf of this and many other endangered species.”

— Joanie Mahoney, Onondaga County Executive

PHOTO COURTESY ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZooOzzy is one of two baby snow leopards born at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo on May 30. He and his brother were revealed to the public on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018.