Cute addition
BioPark Zoo has a new baby snow leopard
Snow leopards Azeo and Sarani welcomed their first cub together, the ABQ BioPark Zoo announced Friday.
The announcement of the birth, which occurred on May 19, was delayed two months to give the mom and baby private bonding time and space, said the zoo’s mammal curator Erin Flynn.
“Once the cub reaches an appropriate age and can get vaccinated and be protected, then he can go out in his exhibit and explore. People can’t see the cub until then and they get frustrated and upset, so we don’t announce it until he’s out and about in his exhibit space,” Flynn said.
Veterinary staff performed the as yet unnamed male baby’s first health exam on June 28
and report all is well.
Sarani and her cub will have the choice to go freely between their behindthe-scenes den and their exhibit but the best viewing opportunities will likely be early in the day and late in the day.
“We’re thrilled to welcome this new cub, which is an important part of the snow leopard Species Survival Plan,” said Lynn Tupa, ABQ BioPark Zoo manager. “Mom and cub are doing great, and we know our visitors will love seeing our new arrival.”
Azeo and Sarani didn’t waste any time in having an offspring. Azeo’s former mate, Kachina, died in June 2017. In January this year Sarani, who was intended to be Azeo’s new mate, was brought to the BioPark Zoo from the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago.
The gestation time for a pregnant snow leopard is from 93 to 110 days, according to the Snow Leopard Trust.
The ABQ BioPark has a strong legacy of breeding snow leopards. Azeo sired 11 cubs at the zoo with former mate Kachina. This is Sarani’s third litter.
The zoo also has a strong legacy of education and conservation, said Flynn. “If you go to our gift shop you can find things from the Snow Leopard Trust, and by purchasing them you’re helping snow leopard ecotourism, so that local people (in countries native to snow leopards) can create snow leopard crafts, giving them alternatives to hunting or engaging in activities that might displace the cats.”
In the wild, snow leopards are found in the rugged, colder mountain regions of Central Asia, from the southern end of the Himalayas to the northern end of southern Siberia, Flynn said. They are generally solitary, elusive and vulnerable to extinction because of pelt hunting and global climate change, which impacts their habitats and the prey animals that are their food source.
The Snow Leopard Trust estimates that there are likely no more than 6,400 snow leopards in the wild and another 600 in zoos around the world. They have a lifespan of 10-12 years in the wild and up to 22 years in captivity, according to the trust. At maturity snow leopards can weigh from 60-100 pounds and stand up to 2.5 feet tall at the shoulders, with a body length of 3.5 feet to 4.25 feet and a tail almost as long as their bodies.
According to the National Geographic Society, snow leopards have powerful legs and can leap 50 feet. They make sounds similar to other large cats, including a purr, mew, hiss, growl, moan and yowl. They do not, however, roar, and instead make a puffing sound called a chuff.