2 new snow leopards arrive in the park!

The snow may have left us (for a few weeks at least!) but two new residents may not be as happy as the rest of us. Indeever and Irina, a pair of beautiful snow leopards have recently arrived as part of a European Breeding Programme for the species. We have a very successful big cat track record and keepers have high hopes this new pair will form a strong bond to last for many years to come. 

Their thick smoky-grey fur is patterned with dark grey markings, making them practically invisible as they blend perfectly in with the mountains of Central Asia. Snow leopards can grow up to 50 inches but that’s just their body - their thick furry tails can be just as long again! The tail helps balance the cats as they hunt prey along rocky slopes, and wrapped around the face it is a perfect buffer against the bitter cold.

Our last snow leopard cub was born during 2005, and was the seventeenth snow leopard from Marwell to join the European Breeding Programme. Carnivores Section Manager, Phil Hindmarsh added: “Both snow leopards have settled in well and Indeever in particular is quietly confident and likes to sit outside surveying his new territory. Our breeding programme for this species has been very successful and we very much hope that this new pair will raise cubs of their own during the next few years.” 

The snow leopards range covers 12 countries, including China, Afghanistan and Nepal, across the mountains of Central Asia. An individual snow leopard range inhabits a defined area which can overlap several of these international borders. This can give them some protection as these sensitive areas are often closed to public access, although it can also add to the difficulty of studying them.

Researchers estimate that there are between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards left in the wild. However, no-one really knows for sure as they are very elusive creatures and live in very remote habitats, so tracking them is very difficult. Most researchers rely on evidence, such as scrapes in soil, scent marks and droppings to record their presence.

The main threat to their survival comes from human activities: they are hunted for their beautiful pelts which are made into coats, their bones are in demand for traditional Asian medicine, and live cats are also captured for the illegal trade market. As people move into their territory with livestock, they are also increasingly suffering from loss of habitat and decline in available prey.

An adult snow leopard can weigh between 60-120 lb (27-55kg), which is about seven times the weight of a housecat, and one-seventh the weight of a tiger. They hunt a variety of wildlife, including blue sheep known as bharal in the Himalayas, ibex (a wild goat) and wild argali sheep in the Altai Mountains. They will also take small prey like marmots, hares and birds. They are also opportunistic hunters and will attack livestock, which can cause herders to retaliate by trapping, poisoning or shooting them.

Our last snow leopard was born on 15 August 2005. He was called Vishnu and left for Luneburgerheide in Germany on 13 December 2007. The previous cub to Vishnu was born on 6 July 2003, called Binu, she left for a new home at Kolmarden Zoo, Sweden in May 2006. Their mum, Yasmin still lives in the park and will be moving to one side of the snow leopard enclosure once the two new leopards have been introduced to each other. They currently have one half of the enclosure each. They arrived on 19 January 2010

Indeever (right) has come from Zurich Zoo, Switzerland. He was born on 27 April 2008.

Irina (left and top) has come from Nordens Ark in Sweden. She was born on 23 May 2008.

 

5 February 2010