Philadelphia Zoo becomes new home for two rescued, orphaned puma cubs
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Zoo has just added two new adorable additions to its Big Cat family!
Two puma cubs, one male and one female, were flown cross country to Philadelphia after being rescued in Washington state over the summer.
Zoo officials say the 21-week-old cubs were orphaned after their mother was believed to be shot by a farmer.
They were found significantly underweight for their age, and are now being nursed back to health by the Philadelphia Zoo's veterinary team.
The brother-sister duo is expected to make their public debut at Big Cat Falls in early fall, but they have already been named as part of the family!
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The boy is named Elbroch in honor of Mark Elbroch, who is the leading puma researcher for conservation organization Panthera, while his sister is named Olympia after the state capital of Washington where the cubs were rescued.
Philadelphia Zoo staff says you can tell the siblings apart by their size.
"Elbroch is a little bit bigger than his sister Olympia. He's confident and not afraid to explore and Olympia follows along, looking to her brother for reassurance."