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‘Majestically beautiful’ snow leopard debuts at Calgary Zoo

Click to play video: 'New snow leopard at the Calgary Zoo'
New snow leopard at the Calgary Zoo
WATCH: Curator Matt Korhonen joins Global Calgary with details on the new female snow leopard at the Calgary Zoo – Jan 29, 2016

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.

Click to play video: 'Meet the Calgary Zoo’s new snow leopard Leika'
Meet 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.

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“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.

‘Majestically beautiful’ snow leopard debuts at Calgary Zoo - image
The Calgary Zoo

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