Adding to the adorable animal kingdom at Chester Zoo, the conversation charity has welcomed some new arrivals in the form of two majestic (and rather fluffy) snow leopards. Their arrival is also quite the milestone as in all of the zoo‘s 93 years, it’s the first time ever that its carnivore experts have ever cared for the highly-threatened big cats.
The two snow leopards have arrived at Chester Zoo ahead of the opening of a huge new Himalayan habitat for the species. The immersive habitat – which is now home to male leopard Yashin and female Nubra – has been designed to authentically recreate the rocky terrain of the Himalayan mountains – using more than 600 tonnes of scree and rocks.
Having arrived from zoos in Europe after being carefully matched up as part of an important conservation breeding programme, conservationists say the pair have ‘hit it off’ straight away and are hopeful that they’ll go on to have cubs in the future. Now, the zoo has released a first look of the iconic cats exploring their expansive new home, which is set to open to the public on March 25.
Mike Jordan, Director of Animals and Plants at the zoo, said: “The arrival of snow leopards is a huge milestone in our zoo’s long history and signifies our commitment to protecting another of the world’s most threatened big cat species.
“Yashin and Nubra are both just over 18 months old, so they’re incredibly playful, inquisitive and full of energy. They’re also both now at the age where they’d naturally start to leave their mother and become independent, which is why they’ve been paired up here at Chester Zoo as part of a European conservation breeding programme, which is working to safeguard the species from becoming extinct.
“Now that they’ve had some time to settle in and explore their new home here in Chester, the pair appear to have really hit it off and, in time, we’re hopeful that they’ll go on to have cubs together.
“This incredible new habitat not only offers visitors spectacular viewing opportunities and a fascinating glimpse into the harsh, yet beautiful world that snow leopards inhabit. It’ll also help conservationists here to learn more about the lives of these iconic cats, helping to further support global conservation efforts for the species.”
Snow leopards are elusive animals which have adapted to high-altitude living in the Himalayas and Central Asia where they face a number of threats, including climate change which is eroding the landscape they thrive in, habitat loss, poaching and retaliatory killings following cases of human-wildlife conflict. Sightings have become so rare that they’ve been nicknamed the ‘ghost of the mountains’ by communities that live alongside them.
The huge new habitat has two large outdoor areas, featuring rocky outcrops, shallow cave retreats, ledges and steep rugged cliffs with overhangs to allow the snow leopards to mark their scent (which is key to recreating the wild experience). Air-cooled caves will take visitors nose-to-nose with the snow leopards while providing shelter and a cool place for the big cats when the weather is warm outside. The cooler temperatures in these caves are designed to replicate the climate of their high, mountainous habitat
The new snow leopard habitat will open to the public from Monday 25 March. Entry is free, with normal zoo admission and tickets can be booked here.