On Friday, December 18, 2009, the Los Angeles Zoo’s snow leopard cubs will celebrate the holiday season by tearing into holiday gifts filled with delicious treats!

The gifts are boxes decorated as presents, cardboard candy canes and oversized stockings all filled with scrumptious treats. The feisty felines will also get to chow down on tubsicles, which consist of meat suspended in frozen water.

The snow leopards at the L.A. Zoo will enjoy their festive presents as part of the Zoo’s Behavioral Enrichment program. Behavioral Enrichment keeps the animals healthy and active by utilizing their natural behaviors. In this case, the snow leopards will rip open the presents to obtain the meat inside.

Born on May 26, 2009, the L.A. Zoo’s young brother and sister pair is on exhibit with their mother. Native to remote mountains in Asia, snow leopards are extremely rare. It is estimated that only 5,000 to 7,000 snow leopards remain in the wild.

Thanks to their outstanding night vision, ability to leap 45 feet in the air and apability to kill prey up to two to three times their weight, snow leopards are very adept hunters. They primarily prey on wild goat and sheep.

The holiday spirit is in the air here at the Los Angeles Zoo. Now, through January 10, 2010, parents can bring their kids to enjoy festive skating and through January 3, 2010, visitors can celebrate the holidays at Reindeer Romp! On the weekends during Reindeer Romp, families can see the Zoo’s animals chow down on festive holiday treats! Please note the L.A. Zoo is closed on Christmas Day.

The snow leopards will be available to the media on Friday, December 18, 2009. Park in the Zoo’s lot by the bus circle where a cart will transport you to their habitat. To request photos or RSVP, please call (323) 644-4273. To make sure you see the snow leopards open their presents, please arrive by 9:15 a.m.