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Meet Leo: a very special snow leopard at the Bronx Zoo
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Meet Leo the snow leopard at the Bronx Zoo
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been deservedly grabbing headlines this month for its spectacular new snow leopard exhibit at the Central Park Zoo. WCS also has a long history of successfully caring for snow leopards at its flagship park, the Bronx Zoo. Over the decades, more than 80 cubs have been born at the Bronx Zoo and many have been sent to zoos around the globe to help ensure the survival of this endangered species.
So what exactly makes Leo stand out from his cousins? It’s not just his mesmerizing good looks. It’s his tail, er tale, though the former is pretty impressive too— a snow leopard’s tail can be up to 3 feet long! It’s one of the longest tails in the cat family and the snow leopard uses it to help keep its balance in rocky terrain.
Rocky terrain is exactly where Leo comes from. While the vast majority of zoo animals are born in zoos as part of carefully coordinated breeding programs, Leo was born in the wild in Pakistan, where he was abandoned as a cub and discovered by a local. As the result of a unique collaboration between the Pakistani and U.S. Governments, the Bronx Zoo/WCS, and other international conservation organizations, it was determined that Leo should be transferred to the Bronx Zoo until an appropriate facility could be constructed for him back in Pakistan. In 2006, the then 13-month old Leo made the long journey from Pakistan to the Bronx, accompanied by senior WCS curatorial, international program, and veterinary staff. In September of that year a ceremony to officially complete the transfer took place at the Bronx Zoo with the then first lady of Pakistan, Mrs. Sehba Musharraf, and government officials from both countries in attendance.
Leo quickly got acclimated to the Himalayan Highlands exhibit, his temporary Bronx Zoo home, where he reportedly now often enjoys the company of a certain female snow leopard. Perhaps Leo will wind up contributing to the Bronx Zoo legacy of snow leopard cub births before he returns to his native homeland.
Even though we’re all more than ready for some warm weather, you can also make this a summer of snow—snow leopards that is! Be sure to visit Leo at the Bronx Zoo and don’t miss Zoe, Chocolate, and Bo at the Central Park Zoo.
Photo: ©WCS/Julie Larsen Maher
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