Today in Cute Tiny Animals, welcome baby Sochi into your heart. Born December 3 at the Denver Zoo, Sochi is one of the world’s few Amur leopards. (There are only about 30 Amur leopards in the wild, according to World Wildlife Fund.) The cub was named after Sochi, Russia, home to the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Zooborns has the scoop:
Sochi is the second cub for Dazma and her mate, Hari-Kari. Hari-Kari was born at El Paso Zoo in 2003, while Dazma was born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2001. The two came to Denver Zoo and were paired under recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which ensures healthy populations and genetic diversity among zoo animals. Fortunately, the couple has proved to be an excellent match.
Check out the cuteness:
Visitors to the Denver Zoo can say hi to Sochi in the zoo’s feline building. And if you want to symbolically adopt an Amur leopard, WWF has you covered.
![](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/naam-why-gmos-matter-image-1-wikimedia-commons.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768)