Those looking for something cute to get them through the upcoming week should look no further, as three sand kittens were just born at the North Carolina Zoo.
The kittens, born to first-time mother Sahara, 3, and father Cosmo, 9, were welcomed to the world on May 11, the zoo shared in a press release.
At birth, the kittens were so tiny they could fit in a person’s palm, the zoo shared. Now, they are beginning their exploration of their home in the zoo’s Desert Habitat.
The kittens have yet to be named, and the zoo shared that it will run a poll on its website and social media pages, giving the public the chance to offer suggestions.
While they may seem like a kitten you would love to hold at home, the zoo offered a reminder that they are wild animals.
“Though they appear adorable with big ears, eyes, and petite frame, looks can be deceiving,” the zoo shared. “Zookeepers are quick to tell you they are wild, ferocious animals that should never be kept as pets.”
The cats were born thanks to their parents being paired through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Sand Cat Survival Plan. The zoo shared in its release that the plan “aims to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population of sand cats to increase their numbers.”
The cats are native to deserts in Asia, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. Sand cats are among some of the smallest felines in the world and are the only felines that live in exclusively desert environments, the zoo shared.
Other animals born at the North Carolina Zoo recently include a baby male giraffe and a baby male chimpanzee.
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