CMZoo Welcomes First Amur Leopard Cubs in Nearly 20 Years

Two spotted, wriggly, critically endangered cubs born at CMZoo

May 19, 2023 (COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) – There were happy tears at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Wednesday, when Asian Highlands keepers celebrated the long-awaited arrival of two V.I.C.s – very important cubs. It has been nearly 20 years since Amur leopard cubs were born at CMZoo. Three days after Mother’s Day, Anya, a 9-year-old critically endangered Amur leopard became a first-time mom.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Celebrates Birth of Two Rare Amur Leopards

The Cubs, Born at the San Diego Zoo, Increase Population of the World’s Most Endangered Big Cat Species

SAN DIEGO (March 28, 2023) — A birth of twins is exceptional, no matter the species. However, when those twins are Amur leopards—and fewer than 300 of those big cats are estimated to exist on Earth—the births are especially significant. This week, wildlife care staff at the San Diego Zoo announced the birth of two Amur leopard cubs, increasing this rare cat’s estimated worldwide population by two and furthering the nonprofit conservation organization’s ongoing work to save this vital Asian species.   

Twin Endangered Persian Leopards Born At Dvůr Králové Zoo

Protective first-time mom delays vet checks for a whole month!

It’s been exactly one month since Safari Park Dvůr Králové welcomed the birth of two endangered Persian leopard cubs. The Park is one the world’s most important breeders of the leopard and was responsible for the spread of the species across European zoos. Despite this, it’s been 8 years since the birth of the last cub at Dvůr Králové. The tiny cubs, both male, are extremely valuable for the European breeding program because of the genetic background of their parents. In the last year, cubs of this species have not been born at any other zoos.

Amur Leopard Cubs Now Exploring Their Outdoor Habitat

On Tuesday, July 12, two 3-month-old Amur leopard cub females, Anya and Irina (pronounced Ah-na and eye-REE-na), were given access for the first time to their outdoor habitat at Big Cat Country at the Saint Louis Zoo. The family has been bonding in a private maternity den since the cubs’ birth, allowing time for the cubs to grow large enough to safely navigate all of the obstacles in the outdoor habitat.  

Leopard Cub Zoomies!

Saint Louis Zoo’s feisty, 10-week-old Amur leopard cub twins Irina and Anya got the zoomies! (They are 9 weeks old by the end of this video. They were born April 21, 2022.)

Play is serious business for young cats. These rambunctious games of chase, tag, and hide-and-seek help them practice the skills they will need as adults, such as stalking, pouncing, and socializing.

Critically Endangered Baby Leopard Gets His Shots And Ventures Out

Like all newborn baby animals, Copenhagen Zoo’s Amur leopard cub must of course also be welcomed with a visit from the vet. Vets check that it is healthy and well, weigh it, check the sex, and give it its own personal chip. The little one did not complain in the slightest, and the patient mother also took it in stride.

About two weeks later, the leopard cub has had its first excursion in the exhibit! It is a seemingly dangerous world, at first! Fortunately, once you get to know it, you quickly become more courageous

Two Amur Leopard Cubs Born At Saint Louis Zoo

Their birth is important for the survival of this critically endangered big cat

(St. Louis, Mo - May 19, 2022) Two critically endangered Amur leopard cubs were born at the Saint Louis Zoo on April 21, 2022. The little females are the first cubs born at the Zoo since 2010 and their births are a significant contribution to the population of Amur leopards in North American zoos. This species is considered one of the most endangered cats in the world.

Critically Endangered Amur Leopard Cub Makes Her Debut At Santa Barbara Zoo

This is the first Amur leopard born at the Zoo in over 20 years

(August 11, 2020) Santa Barbara, CA -- On August 6th at 4:05 am, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Amur leopard, Ajax, gave birth to her first cub. The cub is a female and has been given the name Marta. The cub weighed in at 517 gms (1.1 lbs) at its first medical examination on August 6.

Ajax and the new cub have remained in their den behind the scenes during their critical bonding period and were not visible to the public for sever months. Once mom and cub bonded and the cub received a clean bill of health, Ajax and the cub began rotating with the father, Kasha, in having access to their exhibit habitat. In the wild, males and females usually do not remain together after breeding occurs, so this separation is important for the safety of Ajax and the cub.

9-week-old Leopard Gets Vaxxed!

The baby Sri Lankan Leopard at Royal Burgers’ Zoo in The Netherlands has been vaccinated for the second time against cat flu and has been dewormed. Thanks to this booster, the animal is now immune to this common feline disease and hopefully also preventively rid of any worms.

At the age of about three months, the youngster can get acquainted with its mother for the first time in the large outdoor enclosure. Until then, the young can continue to grow in the pleasant warmth of the indoor enclosure thanks to mother's milk.

Sri Lankan Leopard Vaccinated

Monday morning 18 October 2021, Burgers’ Zoo veterinarian Henk Luten vaccinated a six-week-old Sri Lankan leopard against feline panleukopenia and cat flu, dewormed it and microchipped it. The leopard is a female. There are 77 Sri Lankan leopards living in zoos worldwide, 38 males and 39 females. It is estimated that between 200 and 400 leopards still exist in the wild in Sri Lanka.

The six-week-old Sri Lankan leopard was touched by human hands for the first time on Monday, 18 October. The cub will receive a second vaccination at the age of about nine weeks, after which it will be immune to feline panleukopenia and cat flu. Not long after the second vaccination, the cub will be introduced to the enclosure for the first time under the watchful eye of its mother.