Santa Barbara zoo celebrates birth of adorable Amur leopard cub - ‘most endangered cat species in world’
There are just 100 Amur leopards remaining in the wild, according to conservationists
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A rare Amur leopard cub was born at the Santa Barbara Zoo in California on 6 August, giving conservationists cause for celebration.
Amur leopards have been deemed one of the most endangered in the world by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Santa Barbara zoo officials say that they have been trying to breed these leopards for several years as part of their conservation efforts.
An Amur leopard named Ajax gave birth to her first cub at 4am, according to zoo officials. This is the first Amur cub born at the zoo in over 20 years.
The cub, named Marta, weighed 1.1 lbs at the time of its birth, said Dr Julie Barnes, vice president of the Santa Barbara zoo.
“Based on video monitoring, the cub appeared strong and active after birth,” Dr Barnes said.
“Ajax seems to be settling into motherhood well and is exhibiting good maternal behaviour so far,” she was quoted by KSBY as saying.
She said the first week was a critical period for the cub’s survival. The officials were worried initially as Marta didn’t start nursing within the first 12 hours of her birth. But zoo officials now confirm that things are going well.
On their Facebook page, the zoo announced that the Amur cub was named Marta by her “premier foster feeder sponsors — Marta Holsman Babson and Henrietta Holsman Fore.”
It also said that the birth of the cub was “great news” for the Amur leopard Species Survival Plan, which the zoo described as a programme to maintain the genetic diversity of threatened and endangered species in human care.
There are just under 100 Amur leopards remaining in the wild, in parts of Russia and China, with about 200 in human care.
Dr Barnes said the mother and cub will remain behind the scenes for several months “as they strengthen their bond.”
After this period, Ajax and Marta “will be in rotation with Kasha, the father, in spending time at their exhibit habitat,” the zoo said in its Facebook post.
Zoo officials also said “since Ajax is the most genetically valuable female Amur leopard in North America, this first cub will contribute valuable genetics to the population.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments