The Greenville Zoo is celebrating the birth of two endangered Amur leopard cubs. The cubs were born May 17, 2026 to first-time mother Irina and father Basha.
Zoo officials say the cubs are healthy, eating well, and receiving excellent care from their mother. The family is being monitored from a distance while they remain in a climate-controlled den.
According to the Greenville Zoo, "The cubs are with Irina in a climate-controlled den and will not be handled by humans until they are six weeks old. “This is a best practice,” zoo director Bill Cooper said. “In about five weeks our veterinary staff will be able to separate them from mom and check their teeth and eyes and determine their genders.”
Amur leopards are critically endangered, with fewer than 150 left in the wild, making these births an important conservation success. The Zoo says Keepers trained Irina to voluntarily participate in ultrasound sessions during her pregnancy.
