Captive-bred snow leopard twins mark first birthday

XINING - China's only existing captive-bred snow-leopard twins marked their first birthday on Wednesday in Northwest China's Qinghai province.

The twin sisters at the Xining Wildlife Park enjoyed a tyre-sized "cake" of cabbage and mutton prepared by zoo staff, as visitors recorded the event on their smartphones.

Qi Xinzhang, deputy head of the park, said the twin cubs, named "Shuimo" and "Youhua", are healthy and well-developed. They were born last May to Er'bao, a 13-year-old female leopard rescued in 2007.

"We held a birthday party hoping to promote public understanding of snow leopards and create a better social environment for the protection of their wild population," Qi said.

Zoologists said that snow leopards, which usually live in alpine regions at an elevation of over 3,500 meters, are difficult to rear in captivity due to their sensitivity to their environment's temperature and humidity and poor resistance to many common pathogens.

The park established the country's first and only breeding base for snow leopards in 2010, including nine houses and a playground of 1,800 square meters.

Snow leopards are a Class A protected animal in China and are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They mainly inhabit the Himalayas in central and southern Asia at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 meters.