Three rare snow leopard cubs were born in a nature reserve in the Krasnoyarsk region.

The Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve has welcomed a new addition to its snow leopard family—camera traps have captured three recently born cubs. The mother, a snow leopard named Musya, is the new mother. The reserve now boasts 17 snow leopards—the largest number ever recorded.

Over the past 7 years, the number of snow leopards has increased by 16 individuals.

Snow leopards are extremely rare animals. Currently, there are only 4 to 6,5 individuals worldwide, and only 87 in Russia. They were previously killed uncontrollably by poachers, but hunting is now strictly prohibited. However, they remain endangered: poachers set traps for musk deer, which can trap snow leopards and kill them.