ABQ BioPark snow leopard Kachina dies
Death leaves only one of the big cats at Albuquerque zoo
Kachina, a 14-year-old snow leopard and a resident of the ABQ BioPark Zoo since 2003, died Thursday, according to the zoo’s Facebook page.
She was diagnosed last January with a tumor that was inoperable because of its proximity to her neck and throat.
Kachina’s death leaves one snow leopard at the zoo, her mate, Azeo, 15, with whom she has had seven litters, the posting noted.
Snow leopards are native to the mountains of Central and South Asia, at alpine and subalpine elevations ranging from about 9,500 feet to nearly 15,000 feet. Their habitat encompasses countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, India, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Russia and Kazakhstan.
They are considered an endangered species and their numbers are declining with estimates ranging from 4,000 to 8,500 remaining in the wild, though fewer than 2,500 may be reproducing, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The IUCN, National Geographic Society, World Wildlife Fund and other conservation sources attribute the global decline of snow leopards to poaching driven by the illegal trade in pelts and body parts for Chinese folk medicines, as well as encroachment of habitat and vanishing prey animals on which the snow leopards feed.
As big cats go, snow leopards are
generally smaller, standing two feet tall or a bit more at the shoulders and weighting from 60 to 120 pounds. Their body length can reach five feet, and their tails are long and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance. Snow leopards have been known to leap up to 50 feet.
Well adapted to cold climates, snow leopards have long, thick fur, with color variations from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with dark spots and whitish underparts. Their paws are wide and thick with fur on the undersides.
Like other large cats, snow leopards purr, mew, hiss, growl, moan, and yowl. They cannot, however, roar, and instead make a puffing sound called a “chuff.”