The snow leopard cubs at the Woodland Park Zoo have reached six weeks old and are growing, playing and testing the likes of solid food, reports the Animal Management team caring for a pair of snow leopards born at the zoo.

The male and female siblings underwent a six-week examination July 9, and received their first set of vaccinations.
 
Click here to watch a video of the exam, and here for more photos.

The cubs were born on Memorial Day to first-time parents, 4-year-old Helen and 3-year-old Tom. Mom and cubs remain off public exhibit to ensure continual bonding and proper nursing while staff monitor the new family via a Web cam. Since snow leopards are solitary animals in the wild, the father is separated and is in the snow leopard exhibit with the zoo’s other adult female, Nadia.
 
The male weighed in yesterday at 7 pounds and the female, 6 pounds. According to Pat Owen, an interim collection manager at the zoo, the cubs are venturing outside the birthing den more frequently and playing, particularly favoring a game of playing with mom’s tail.

“For the first time, the cubs sampled solid food, chicken,” said Owen, “and their mom continues to show attentive maternal skills.”
 
“Both cubs appear to be in good health, and we’ll continue to administer exams and the necessary vaccinations until they reach about 16 weeks old,” explained Dr. Kelly Helmick, associate veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo.
 
The cubs remain unnamed and the zoo plans to hold a public naming later this summer.