What could be better news than the birth of an animal baby at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo — especially if that animal is a feline? The zoo just announced that a baby Amur leopard was born just after midnight July 1—better than Fourth of July fireworks!—to mom Marta and dad Sylas at the Zoo’s Asian Highlands habitat. The cub is not on view to the public yet, as Marta is caring for the baby (sex yet unknown) behind the scenes, but you can visit Sylas and maybe he’ll give you a cigar. There will as usual be a naming opportunity ahead.
This is the first birth of this type of leopard at the Zoo in its 144-year history; it’s especially good news since there are probably fewer than 100 such leopards in the wild in southwestern Russia.
“The birth of this Amur leopard cub is an extraordinary milestone for Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and a meaningful contribution to the long-term sustainability of the Amur leopard population in human care,” says Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Dr. Chris Kuhar in the announcement press release. “Every birth offers renewed hope for the future of this iconic species and is reflective of the exceptional work of our Animal Care team and the Zoo’s commitment to global wildlife conservation.”
The Zoo shares that this cub’s birth plays a significant role in maintaining genetic diversity within zoo-housed leopard populations around the globe.
“Counting Amur leopards living in accredited zoos around the world, only an estimated 200-300 individuals remain. Since 2013, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has donated over $50,000 to Amur tiger conservation initiatives, which helps support interventions that benefit both Amur tigers and Amur leopards in their native regions.”
See video of Marta and her baby, posted by the Zoo, here.