CALGARY – A furry new resident made her debut at the Calgary Zoo on Friday.
Snow leopard Leika came to Calgary from Zoo Kameltheatre in Austria.
“We are thrilled to have Leika join our zoo family,” curator Matt Korhonen said.
The one-year-old has joined 17-year-old snow leopard Karesh in the Eurasian Gateway.
“They’ve gotten along great,” Korhonen said, who added it’s not likely the pair will mate.
WATCH: Global Calgary Photographer Braden Latam got a look at the Calgary Zoo’s new snow leopard Leika.
There are estimated to be 4,000 to 6,500 snow leopards remaining in the wild, and they are currently listed as endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
“The species is one of the most majestically beautiful and enigmatic big cats on earth,” Korhonen said. “We want to preserve them for generations to come and do what we can to educate our visitors on the important conservation work zoos do.”
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Snow leopards are found in the mountain regions of Central Asia.
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