GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A snow leopard cub was recently born at a Michigan zoo.
The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids said that its snow leopard Yuki gave birth to a cub on Monday, July 28, 2025.
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Yuki and her cub are doing well, according to the zoo.
“For now, they’ll remain behind the scenes while they bond and grow stronger, but don’t worry, we’ll be sharing updates (and some serious cuteness) soon,” according to an announcement from the zoo.
Zoo officials described the birth as a “big win” because it was an important step in protecting the vulnerable snow leopard species.
This comes after Yuki’s 9-month-old cub, Mera, died in March.
“Mera showed signs of discomfort, and when she didn’t improve with medications, we took her off-site for a CT scan and ultrasound,” the zoo said in a post on March 28, 2025. “Ultimately an exploratory surgery was needed to find the root cause, which led to the discovery of abnormalities in her urinary system. Unfortunately, it was determined this issue could not be surgically repaired, and we had to make a very difficult decision to humanely euthanize her.”