Leo, the snow leopard orphaned from Pakistan in 2005, recently welcomed his first cub to the Bronx Zoo.
Zoo officials have cared for the unnamed male cub since he was born on April 5, ensuring he was healthy enough before being on public display.
His Bronx debut marks the tenth snow leopard for the zoo.
In 2006, Pakistan, the United States, and Wildlife Conservation Society officials assisted in a rescue effort to save Leo, at the time a young orphaned cub, and bring him to New York City.
“The rescue of Leo as a cub, conducted by two nations, the continued global interest in him, and now the story of his first offspring shows the power of the connections between humans and nature,” Jim Breheny, director of the Bronx Zoo, said in a statement.
Snow leopards are a designated endangered species, mainly due to poachers who seek their fur and organs. There are thought to be roughly only 6,000 snow leopards left in the world.
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