On 7th December 2008, Melbourne Zoo resident Snow Leopard, Meo gave birth to two cubs. Following three months living behind the scenes, often in a quiet and dark nesting box, the family emerged to public view for the first time on 5th March 2009, delighting an eagerly awaiting group of excited visitors and media.

Both cubs have names that reflect their Asian origins. The female is ‘Tashi', a popular name for Tibetan girls, and the male is ‘Gobi', after a Mongolian national park where Snow Leopards still survive in the wild.

To celebrate the birth of the cubs, Zoos Victoria's Snow Leopard animal adopters were invited to a special breakfast in March at the Big Cat enclosure. Snow Leopard supporters were given the opportunity to be amongst the first to see the cubs up close and to hear about their development from the Snow Leopard keepers.

Snow Leopards are native to the mountainous regions of 12 countries stretching from Afghanistan, east through the Himalayas and Central Asia, to Russia. Their pale coloration is excellent summer camouflage against the rocky mountain slopes, and during winter their coat blends in with the surrounding snow.

The species is Endangered, primarily because their beautiful pelts bring high prices in the illegal wildlife trade. Other major threats to Snow Leopards in the wild include habitat decline due to agro-pastoral land use and conflict with local communities over livestock depredation - for which they are often killed in retribution.

Melbourne Zoo's Snow Leopard cubs were bred as part of Zoos Victoria's involvement in a regional breeding program for this species. The cubs have become very confident and active, and they are on display every day with their mother. VIPs including the President of the Zoological Society of London, Sir Patrick Bateson, have visited them.

Tax-deductible animal adoptions start from just $75.00. If you would like to adopt the Snow Leopard cubs, please contact the Zoos Victoria Foundation on 9285 9314 or go to the Adopt an Animal page.