APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (AP) — A pair of rare Amur tiger cubs are making their public debut at the Minnesota Zoo, raising hopes for preserving an endangered species that’s native to far eastern Russia and northern China.

Andrei and Amaliya got to venture outside and feel the grass of their new home under their paws Wednesday for the first time since their 12-year-old mother, Dari, gave birth on May 23.

“They’ve done quite well since then,” zoologist Trista Fischer said. “We’ve monitored them very closely. Dari’s been fantastic. She’s provided outstanding maternal care. And so today we’ve reached the point where they’re fully vaccinated and they’re now about 40 to 45 pounds (18-20 kilograms).”

Scientists estimate the Amur tiger population is just around 400 to 500 in the wild. They were near the brink of extinction in the 1930s and 1940s but have recovered somewhat since then. It’s tricky to breed them, and around one in four Amur cubs don’t make it to adulthood, whether it’s in the wild or in captivity, she said. Poachers are another major threat.

But the Minnesota Zoo, located in the Minneapolis suburb of Apple Valley, has a long history of conserving tigers. Its Amur tigers have produced 57 cubs, 46 of which survived for at least 30 days. Of those 46, 21 have gone on to produce litters of their own, amounting to another 86 cubs. The births of Andrei and Amaliya raised the zoo’s population to seven Amur tigers, including their sire, Luka.

Fischer is the leading coordinator for the Tiger Species Survival Plan, a breeding program in the United States with facilities in other countries that works on a global level to preserve the big cats. The plan manages three groups of tigers: Sumatran, Malayan and Amur.

“This litter is so valuable to the population right now,” she explained, saying the genetic diversity of heathy tigers in human care could someday be used to help support populations in the wild.

Zoo spokesperson Zach Nugent said the cubs will remain housed together with their mom for about 18 months, before Andrei, the male, is moved to separate housing, around the same time a male cub in the wild would start venturing out on his own. Amaliya, the female, may spend a little more time with Dari, up to 24 months. Then Fischer will determine whether either cub should be bred, and potentially moved for that to another accredited zoo, which typically happens after the cubs are 2 years old.

“Aww, I love when they get their little Yoda ears,” Fischer said referring to the pointy ears of the Star Wars character as she watched Amaliya and Andrei explore the new terrain of their enclosure. She said it was an emotional, exciting and proud moment for her and her team.

“Our work’s not over, but all that work so far is really paying off in how well that these cubs are acclimating to a new surrounding, pretty much immediately,” she said as the little tigers roamed outside with their mother. “They’re showing a lot of resiliency, which is something that we work hard for in human care. We want these animals to have a lot of confidence and be able to adapt to new environments just as they’re doing today.”

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AP writer Steve Karnowski reported from Minneapolis.

It’s Wednesday, and around the National Football League that means it’s time for the first injury reports of the week. The Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers are no different, as they have released their initial reports for Sunday’s contest at U.S. Bank Stadium. Let’s take a look at those reports here.

San Francisco 49ers

Did Not Practice

• DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
• LB Dee Winters (ankle)

Limited Participation

• G Aaron Banks (calf/finger)
• S Talanoa Hufanga (knee)
• WR Jauan Jennings (ankle)
• RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf)

Full Participation

No players listed

Obviously, the McCaffrey situation is the one worth watching here. The Niners made him a surprising late scratch for their season opener, and the reports so far are that he’s a bit of a long shot to play Sunday. He’s the best running back in the NFL and the Niners will obviously look a lot different without him if he can’t go. Hufanga is, potentially, looking to play his first game since tearing his ACL late last season. If he can come back, it would give the Niners’ defense a significant boost as well.

Minnesota Vikings

Did Not Practice

• WR Jordan Addison (ankle)
• OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (foot)

Limited Participation

• C Garrett Bradbury (knee)

Full Participation

Addison continued receiving treatment on his ankle on Wednesday rather than practicing. We’ll see how this progresses during the week but I’m not sure if Addison is going to be out there on Sunday. If he’s not, more will obviously fall on Nailor and Brandon Powell. Van Ginkel. . .who should have been the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. . .was held out a bit at the end of the Giants game but Kevin O’Connell said he should be fine by Sunday.

Those are the initial injury reports for the Vikings and the 49ers as they prepare for this weekend’s contest. We’ll continue updating these throughout the week.