Persian Leopard Cubs Born And To Be Released In Caucasus Mountains, Endangered Species Only Has About 1,290 Adults In The Wild

Rare Persian leopard cubs were born in a Russian national park on July 19, for the first time in 50 years. The two cubs will eventually be released in the Caucasus Mountains.

The cubs were bred at the Persian Leopard Breeding Rehabilitation Center in Sochi National Park in an effort to help reintroduce the population to the wild, The Examiner reports.

There are only about 1,290 adult Persian leopards living in the wild today. Those few leopards are found in Eastern Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus Mountains, Southern Turkmenistan, and a few parts of Afghanistan, according to Science World Report.

In Afghanistan, the pelts of Persian leopards are sold for $1,000 in local markets, despite hunting or trading of the animal being illegal and the species' protected status in the country, Science World Reports writes.

The newborn leopard kittens are about 6 inches long (15 centimeters), and weigh about 1.5 pounds (700 grams).

"They will be released into the wild after learning survival skills, and will start a new population of leopards in the Caucasus Mountains," Natalia Dronova, the World Wildlife Fund's Russian species coordinator, said in a statement.

According to The Inquisitr, leopard cubs usually stay in their den for two months after they are born. They rely on their mother for food, but eventually develop their own hunting skills.

"It is too early to tell the sex of the cubs. They're in the den with their mother and centre staffs don't want to disturb them", said Umar Semyonov, head of the breeding center.

The endangered species once roamed throughout Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and northern parts of Russia to Amur Valley, Science World Report writes.