Snow leopard, clouded leopard and cheetah cubs born at Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo welcomed a slew of baby animals in the past few weeks while the zoo employees were on strike,includingthree snow leopards and a first for the zoo a pair of clouded leopards.

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The zoo reopenedon Thursday afterCUPE Local 1600 andthe Toronto Zoo agreed to a deal after more than a month of striking by workers due to concerns over job security.

The two clouded leopard cubs were born on May 13 to parents Pavarti and Mingma.

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"Pavarti is a first time mom and while she showed early signs of having maternal instincts, she started spending less time with her cubs and could not be observed nursing or mothering them," said the zoo staff in a statement.

The cubs spent their first few weeks in the intensive care unit at the zoobeing taken care of by the zoo's wildlife care staff.

On May 18, three snow leopard cubs were born to mother, Ena, and father, Kota, as part of the zoo's snow leopard conservation breeding program.

The zoosaid Ena was showing "incredible maternal instincts for a first time mom [and] all threecubs have been observed nursing very well."

On April 30, before the zoo workers went on strike, five cheetah cubs were born to parents Laini and Patonga, bringing the total of cheetahs born at the zoo up to 53.

"Laini is doing a superb job of caring for her large litter which is also her first," the zoo said.

The Toronto Zoo is participating in a clouded leopard, snow leopard and cheetah conservation breeding programs through the recommendation of the Species Survival Plan (SSP),a program developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an organization based in the U.S., to help ensure the survival of certain threatened species.

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