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Your morning adorable: What’s rarer than rare? A black Amur leopard cub

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This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

June was a big month for a critically endangered species: the Amur leopard. Only a few hundred Amur leopards remain worldwide -- that’s including both wild and captive animals -- but that number increased a bit when several Amur leopard cubs were born in German zoos in June.

One of those cubs is this little guy, named Paulchen Panther, who was born at the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, Germany, on June 13. As you can see, he’s black, which puts him in stark contrast to his normally patterned twin sister and just about every other Amur leopard out there.

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Keepers at the Serengeti Park say they’re raising little Paulchen by hand because his family members rejected him, a reaction they attributed to his unusual coat.

Habitat loss, fragmentation and poaching have driven Amur leopards nearly to extinction; fewer than 40 are thought to remain in the wild in Russia, with an even smaller population remaining in China.

Another Amur leopard -- yup, featuring the typical spotted coat -- was born in Leipzig in late June.

See more photos and a video of Paulchen Panther after the jump!

RELATED CUTE CUBS:
Your morning adorable: Black panther cubs mug for the camera at Berlin Zoo
Your morning adorable: Endangered Amur tiger cub debuts at Erie Zoo in Pennsylvania

-- Lindsay Barnett

First, thrid and fourth photos: Christian Charisius / Reuters

Second photo: Nancy Heusel / European Pressphoto Agency

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Video: Associated Press

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