5-month-old puma cubs Shasta VII and Louie made their public debut at the Houston Zoo.

HOUSTON. It was an exciting morning at the Houston Zoo as two new cougar cubs made their public debut.

Shasta VII, the newest mascot University of Houston Cougars, and his brother Louis played, explored their new digs and snacked on treats. UH President Renu Hathor, members of the Cougar and fellow Shasta mascot watched in awe.

Five month old cubs came to houston zoo in November after he was found alone in Washington state. They were only about four weeks old, thin and full of parasites. Wildlife experts have determined that orphaned cubs probably won’t survive in the wild on their own.

For months in quarantine backstage, the siblings received medical attention from the zoo’s veterinarians as they grew bigger and stronger.

“It was definitely a journey with these two. When they arrived, they were very small, a little undersized, so our veterinary clinic did an amazing job of restoring them,” said Carnivore keeper Tori Miller.

As their personalities evolved, the caretakers said that Shasta became a little more daring, curious, and adventurous, and Louie loves to eat!

“Louis, he’s the kind of guy who’s obsessed with his snacks,” Miller said.

The brothers are inseparable, and now the best way to tell them apart is by the markings on their tails. Shasta has a thicker black tail band than Louie. Shasta is also slightly slimmer and Louie has a pinker nose. These physical traits are expected to change as the cubs mature, keepers say.

Current UH students can visit the zoo for free throughout the year by reserving an online ticket and presenting their student ID at the entrance gate.