APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (WCCO) — The Minnesota Zoo is welcoming the birth of two rare cats this week.

Two Amur leopard cubs were born on Tuesday to mother Polina and father Chobby. These are their first two offspring, and the first Amur leopard cubs born at the Minnesota Zoo since 1995.

The breed is considered to be one of the most endangered cats in the entire world. Only about 40 of the big cats are thought to be living in the wild.

“When we opened Russia’s Grizzly Coast in 2008, one of our key goals was to play a direct role in the conservation of the animals featured in the exhibit,” said zoo director and CEO Lee Ehmke. “The birth of these two leopard cubs is a tangible realization of that goal.”