Three Persian leopard kittens born at Russian national park

Three Persian leopard kittens were born at the Leopard Recovery Center in Sochi national park yesterday. Sergei Donskoi, Russia's minister of natural resources, made the announcement on Facebook earlier today.

“Wonderful news! The Persian leopards have delivered a gift to all Russians and nature lovers! On June 12, Russia Day, at the Leopard Recovery Center in Sochi national park, the male leopard Alous and female leopard Cherie welcomed to the world three kittens. The newborns are in good health and they're currently with their mother,” Donskoi wrote online.

This brings the park's total leopard population to 16. The kittens' sexes won't be apparent for another two months, at which point the animals will receive their first vaccinations. These kittens are the couple's third litter since being transferred to Russian captivity.

Donskoi says Persian and Caucasian leopards disappeared almost entirely from the Russian wilderness sometime in the mid-20th century, adding that he hopes the recovery center will soon make it possible to return leopards to the mountains of the North Caucasus, to restore “part of the region's unique biodiversity.” The recovery center is part of a collaborative project between Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the World Wildlife Fund.