Oh baby!

Congratulations are in order for the Memphis Zoo, as visitors will soon spot some new – and “Awwwww!”-evoking – residents in Cat Country.

On Thursday, zookeepers and staff veterinarians proudly introduced two sister jaguar cubs during a gender-reveal neonatal exam. They’re the zoo’s first newborn jaguars in more than 25 years.

The two babies, born Sept. 4, peered curiously at onlookers while head veterinarian Dr. Felicia Knightly checked their eyes, weight, teeth, heart rate, gender and overall health in the zoo’s Cat Country Kitchen.

“They look absolutely perfect,” she said. “Both girls are in great condition. They’re very close in size and weight, which is wonderful. No one’s out-competing the other. Mom’s showing them love equally and they have one another, which is extremely important when they’re growing up together.”

The cubs’ birth is a milestone event for both the zoo and global species preservation efforts. Parents Philomena and Diego are on loan for breeding as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for jaguars.

As vets examined the 36-day-old sisters – about the size of full-grown housecats – first-time mother Philomena kept a watchful eye from a nearby Cat Country perch. She seemed unfazed by the brief separation from her cubs, which, according to Cat Country zookeeper Abigail Greenwalt, means the socialization process is going well.

“At about 5 weeks, they’re learning to get out and explore their environment,” Greenwalt said. “They’ll start trying to eat meat soon and they’ll start being way more interactive and mobile.”

The progress the cubs make as they learn to react to their environment will determine when they’ll make their debut to the public, who will ultimately name the cubs as part of a contest.

Meanwhile, the Memphis Zoo will post regular social media updates on their development. The staff is also considering installing a live webcam so audiences can watch it for themselves.

Currently, the nursing cubs are already showing signs of sibling dynamics.

“They roughhouse like sisters, but one of them is a little bit larger and she’s braver,” Greenwalt said. “She’s the first to do things while her sister kind of follows her and watches and learns.”

In a statement released to media, Chief Zoological Officer Matt Thompson expressed his excitement over the new additions to Cat Country.

“Not only are they adorable, they’re an important big cat. Jaguar populations are on the decline in the wild and we are proud to be an institution focused so heavily on conservation and research efforts.”

Native to South America and Central America, the jaguar’s natural habitat loss and resulting decreasing population in the wild have put the big cat in the Near Threatened Species category.

The Memphis Zoo houses more than 4,500 animals from more than 500 species. The zoo has welcomed several other babies this year, including Ripley the Francois langur monkey, Ali the giraffe and an African black-footed penguin.