The Brookfield Zoo in Illinois introduced 4-month-old snow leopards Malaya and Daania to the viewing public Oct. 7, reported K-Hits FM.

The sisters were given the opportunity to walk around in an open-air environment along with their 4-year-old mother Sarani.

The cubs were hidden away in a den with their mother since the Chicago Zoological Society reported their arrival back in June.

Sarani and the cubs' 5-year-old father Sabu were brought from the Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Cape May County Park & Zoo in Cape May Court House, N.J., respectively to the zoo in October 2011.

The two snow leopards were paired upon the suggestion made by the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA).

The Snow Leopard Trust, a leading organization for the conservation of snow leopards, assesses that there are about 4,000 to 6,500 snow leopards left in the wild and the number of existing snow leopards are deteriorating due to poaching and loss of habitat.

The animals mostly dwell in high rocky areas located in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, China, Mongolia and Russia, according to Zoo Borns.

Watch a video of the snow leopard cubs' debut below.