North Carolina Zoo Welcomes 3 Newborn Sand Cat Kittens

Sand cats are among the smallest felines in the world and live in harsh environments.

It’s baby season at the North Carolina Zoo.

The 500-acre facility in Asheboro announced the birth of three healthy sand cat kittens. The species, felis margarita, is among the tiniest of all felids and is elusive in the wild, able to survive in desert biomes far from water in the African Sahara, as well as the Middle East and parts of Asia.

The kittens were born to first-time mom Sahara, 3, and Cosmo, 9, and remain unnamed for now. The zoo said it will allow the public to vote on their names, with details to be revealed in the near future.

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The fortuitous birth of the tiny felines follows the arrival of a giraffe calf and a chimpanzee baby, both male, all within a two-week period in mid-May, the zoo said.

“The mom and triplets are doing well,” zoo staff wrote in an announcement. “The trio are beginning to explore their surroundings in the Desert Habitat. Lucky guests may be able to catch a glimpse of them in the coming days.”

Although sand cats aren’t listed as endangered, scientists don’t have a good handle on their numbers and caution that they may be less populous than estimated. The parents were arranged as a breeding pair for maximum genetic diversity through the Sand Cat Species Survival Plan and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the zoo said.

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An adult sand cat. Credit: North Carolina Zoo

10 thoughts on “North Carolina Zoo Welcomes 3 Newborn Sand Cat Kittens”

    1. Good suggestion for when they start accepting names. They don’t know the sex of the kittens yet. I’m assuming the mother is doing a good job taking care of the cubs so the staff have been hands-off until they’re old enough for vaccinations.

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      1. 👍😁😺😺😺I think i mentioned i saw one in Brooklyn Zoo years ago. Barely because he was hiding. So cute.

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    1. Apparently adults average about 6.1 pounds, making them 61% of one standard Buddinese. However, Buddy is chubby, so he’s probably closer to 12 pounds than his ideal 10.

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