All together now: “Awww...”
Chattanooga Zoo residents Czar and Kasimir are new parents to two snow leopard cubs born at the Zoo on October 2. Both cubs, one boy and one girl, and the mother are doing well.
Snow leopards are considered an endangered species, with only 4,000 to 6,000 remaining in the wild. High death rates in the wild are due to poaching, retribution killings and vanishing habitats. Efforts at breeding snow leopards in captivity have been marginally successful at best due to their solitary lifestyles and low birth survival rate.
The two cubs are the second litter from parents Kasimer, 13, and Czar, 7. Their first cub, Renji, was born on January 10, 2011 and now resides at the Cincinnati Zoo as part of the breeding efforts of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.
The Chattanooga Zoo, a participant in the AZA’s survival program for snow leopards, works to breed genetically healthy zoo populations of snow leopards and save their native habitat through awareness campaigns and education.
“Over recent years, snow leopards have not bred well in North American zoos, so for the Chattanooga Zoo to have two litters over a short period of time is a great achievement. The snow leopard is an endangered species with a decreasing wild population. Only nine cubs born this year survived,” noted AZA Snow Leopard SSP Director and Superintendent of Miller Park Zoo, Jay Tetzloff.
Chattanooga Zoo Executive Director Darde Long said, “It’s wonderful to have baby snow leopard cubs again at our zoo. Even more exciting is to have cubs on the endangered species list. Hopefully, everyone will come out this winter to see our newest animal ambassadors.”
The snow leopard cubs will not be available for public viewing for another month; however, once on exhibit, the Chattanooga Zoo plans to have a live video feed of the cubs for people to view.
Source: Chattanooga Zoo