Zaya the snow leopard gives birth

We’re pleased to share that our female snow leopard, Zaya, gave birth on Wednesday 20 May 2026.

It’s still early days, so the cub or cubs remain in the cubbing box out of sight, so we can’t yet confirm how many cubs she has had.

In order to replicate as closely as possible the birthing experience Zaya would have in the wild, we take a hands-off approach, leaving her to use her natural instincts. Zaya is being monitored via CCTV in the den but we don’t have cameras inside the cubbing box (where it would be quite dark anyway). She is showing good instincts, and we’ve seen movement inside the box telling us there is definitely at least one cub, albeit it’s still early days.

The cub or cubs will still be very tiny and totally dependent on Zaya. They are not mobile yet and still might not have even opened their eyes. It will be several weeks before they are big enough to leave the cubbing box. We’ll keep people updated on their progress and when they might be out and about, but please be patient as we will prioritise their welfare and needs.

Zaya’s side of the habitat is screened off for her privacy and to keep her as calm as possible. She has access outside but is currently choosing to stay close to the cubbing box inside the den. Our male snow leopard, Warjun, has been separated into the right-hand side of the habitat, and is still visible to visitors. If you’re visiting, please keep noise levels to a minimum to help us protect their welfare.

We haven’t yet announced this news on social media, because it’s still early days and the first week or two after a big cat birth is very high risk. We want to be sure the cubs and Zaya are doing ok before we announce anything more widely, but we also want to make our visitors aware why the area is screened off.

Please stay tuned to our website and social media for updates, where we’ll be sharing photos and updates in the coming months.