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Cottbus (dpa / bb) - The Cottbus zoo publicly showed the offspring of its Chinese leopard pair for the first time on Thursday.
The two young animals are six weeks old and weigh around three kilograms, said director Jens Kämmerling.
The two cats still don't have a name.
It has only been clear for a week that both are male, said Kämmerling.
The two rascals will continue to suckle their mother in the coming weeks.
If the zoo were open, visitors could see the young animals now.
After the first time in the litter cave, they have already started to explore their enclosure.
In three to four weeks they should then be playing outside most of the time.
There are currently five Chinese leopards living in the Cottbus Zoo.
In addition to the breeding pair and their two young animals, there is also an older female.
Kämmerling was happy about the double offspring.
It is the first litter from mother «Shira».
That she looks after the young animals so well is something special.
The line from father "Sian" was also underrepresented in the European stock so far.
The two young animals will stay with their mother for at least another year.
How it goes after that is open.
China leopards are a naturally endangered leopard subspecies due to habitat loss and hunting, according to a statement from the zoo.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210128-99-206478 / 3
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Cottbus Zoo