Rare baby leopards born at the Minnesota Zoo make web cam debut

Baby love at the Minnesota Zoo.

Two very rare Amur leopard cubs were born at the zoo Tuesday, and the birth is extremely important for the species' conservation. The cubs, yet to be named, are being kept out of the zoo's exhibit until they have had more time to bond with their mom Polina.

In the meantime, you can see the adorable little critters via the zoo cam.

Native to eastern Asia, only 300 Amur leopards live in captivity worldwide, 90 of these in the United States. Fewer than 40 live in the wild.

Because they are so rare, the zoo isn't taking any chances. "At some point, we will weigh them and determine the genders," says Tony Fischer, animal collection manager at the Minnesota Zoo. "But we want to make sure the mother-cub bond is strong before we interfere."

Fischer says the Apple Valley-based zoo will weigh the babies within the next week or two, but the cubs still won't be on display for another several months.