The newest big cats are playing and pawing each other just as you'd expect. And zookeepers hope you'll join the fun meeting Kanga, Kalinka and baby Mia.
The newest big cats are making a big impression on children visiting the Philadelphia Zoo.
Kanga is a 10 year old Jaguar who likes to lounge on her heated rock, Kalinka is more playful. She's an 11 year old Amur leopard who soaks up the spotlight. Mia is the baby of the bunch. We found the 3 year old snow leopard catnapping high on the hill in the Big Cat Falls exhibit.
When asked what they thought about the big cats, Selena Wanamaker said, "Scary."
"I think they're pretty. I think it's a girl," said Shanayah Strickland, who also thought she would become a mommy someday.
And that's the reason they're here.
The big cats were brought to the zoo as part of their species survival plan. They're threatened with extinction
.Zoo officials hope they'll breed here and perhaps we'll get to watch them raise their family.
"They have kind of an arranged marriage; a kind of dating service," said Tammy Schmidt of the Philadelphia Zoo.
Tammy Schmidt is the curator of carnivores at the zoo. She says it's an honor to be a part of the conservation effort, and Mia is the only one who hasn't been fully introduced to her mate.
"The other two have met. Candles have been lit, soft music has been played, and they're all digging each other," said Schmidt.
Kalinka or Nika, as she is affectionately called, is sunbathing.
Zookeepers say she's in a flirty mood, saying she wants to meet a man for Valentine's Day.
You can meet her too at the Wild at Heart tour at the Philadelphia Zoo Saturday and Sunday.
