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Brookfield Zoo has added two young snow leopards — just in time for the holiday season.
Guests visiting the zoo during the day or evening during its annual holiday magic celebration can view the cats in their outdoor habitat at The Fragile Kingdom.
In mid-October, the female and male juveniles arrived at Brookfield Zoo from different zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Sarani, a 1-year-old female, is from Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Her new mate, Sabu, is a 1-year-old from Cape May County Park Zoo in New Jersey.
Although it may be at least another year before Sabu is mature, the plan is for the two snow leopards to breed and produce a healthy litter of cubs. Currently, there are 144 snow leopards in 63 AZA zoos. Brookfield Zoo has exhibited snow leopards since 1936.
Snow leopards are listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization. A leading snow leopard conservation organization, The Snow Leopard Trust, estimates population numbers of this elusive cat to be between 3,500 and 7,000 remaining in the wild. They inhabit high, rugged mountainous regions of central Asia, including: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, China, Mongolia and Russia.
Adult snow leopards weigh between 77 and 121 pounds, with males weighing about 30 percent more than females. Sarani and Sabu still have some growing to do, weighing about 50 and 70 pounds, respectively.
Brookfield Zoo has added two young snow leopards — just in time for the holiday season.
Guests visiting the zoo during the day or evening during its annual holiday magic celebration can view the cats in their outdoor habitat at The Fragile Kingdom.
In mid-October, the female and male juveniles arrived at Brookfield Zoo from different zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Sarani, a 1-year-old female, is from Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Her new mate, Sabu, is a 1-year-old from Cape May County Park Zoo in New Jersey.
Although it may be at least another year before Sabu is mature, the plan is for the two snow leopards to breed and produce a healthy litter of cubs. Currently, there are 144 snow leopards in 63 AZA zoos. Brookfield Zoo has exhibited snow leopards since 1936.
Snow leopards are listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization. A leading snow leopard conservation organization, The Snow Leopard Trust, estimates population numbers of this elusive cat to be between 3,500 and 7,000 remaining in the wild. They inhabit high, rugged mountainous regions of central Asia, including: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, China, Mongolia and Russia.
Adult snow leopards weigh between 77 and 121 pounds, with males weighing about 30 percent more than females. Sarani and Sabu still have some growing to do, weighing about 50 and 70 pounds, respectively.
