CLEVELAND — So cute!
Two Amur tiger cubs made their first public debut at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Wednesday morning.
As 3News previously reported, the cubs -- a boy and a girl -- were born at the zoo last year on Nov. 6 to mom, Zoya, and dad, Hector.
"The cubs are now 12 weeks old, weigh over 25 pounds and have reached several developmental milestones including transitioning to a meat diet, gaining strength and agility and spending time separated from mom," according to a press release from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. "As the cubs adjust to their new habitat, guests will have a chance to see them daily at Rosebrough Tiger Passage, with mornings being the best time to see them as they adjust to their new habitats."
What are their names? They don’t have any just yet, but the Cleveland Zoo is launching an opportunity for you to help decide the perfect names for both cubs. The choices are...
Female name options
- Mila
- Karina
- Anoushka
Male name options
- Ivan
- Boris
- Sergei
"Each of the name options are culturally significant to the communities where Amur tigers live," according to the Cleveland Zoo.
You can cast your vote by making a donation HERE. The money will be used to support efforts in conservation and combating illegal wildlife trade. Voting will be open now through Monday, Feb. 12. The winning names will be revealed on Valentine's Day.
Here's a look back at when the zoo first announced the tigers were born:
"Amur tigers have been deemed an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with only a few hundred tigers remaining in their native regions of far eastern side of Russia and northeastern China," zoo officials noted in a press release.
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