Snow leopard cubs take their best shots

By Dean Murray

Adorable scenes show snow leopards getting their vaccinations.

Melbourne Zoo’s four cubs — the only snow leopard cubs in Australia — were given their shots before prowling confidently onto their habitat.

The four cubs, two girls and two boys named Maya, Kira, Lumi and Sabu, were born in January to 9-year-old mother Miska and 10-year-old father Kang Ju.

Laura Weiner, manager of carnivores and ungulates, said: "The names were inspired by the range countries where snow leopards are found, a wide variety of locations around the Himalayas.

"We didn’t know what their personalities would be like and it was obvious very quickly — three of them were really quite calm and curious and the other one was very feisty and quite a handful!”

The 3-kilogram (6.6 pounds) leopards have been playful with their mother, Miska.

Laura Weiner adds: "As the cubs grow they start to practice some of those hunting behaviors and they’ve started to practice them on Miska — they’re pouncing on her, they’re chewing on her tail, they’re grabbing her.

"As you can imagine, four cubs are a lot to handle! So, she does take some time on her own away from them."

Snow leopards are classed as vulnerable and Zoos Victoria is contributing to a global breeding program to ensure their conservation.