Three seven-week-old snow leopard cubs explore Scottish wildlife park
Three curious seven-week-old snow leopard cubs explore their enclosure at Scottish wildlife park where workers hope they will be a ‘lifeline’ for the threatened species
- The three cubs still need to be nursed by their mother but have started exploring
- Staff at the wildlife park say the next three weeks are vital for the cubs’ survival
- Snow leopards are a vulnerable species with a wild population as low as 2,700
This is the adorable moment three seven-week-old snow leopard cubs play with their mother and explore their enclosure at a Scottish wildlife park.
Cuddling with mother Animesh they also roll around and tussle with each other in the heartwarming video recorded at the Highland Wildlife Park, within the Cairngorms National Park in north east Scotland.
The curious cubs are still being nursed by their mother, but they have also started to leave their cubbing box and explore.
Park staff and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland say the next three weeks are vital for the cubs’ survival.
They are delighted with the snow leopards and hope that they will now be a lifeline for the species, which is described as being vulnerable.
Una Richardson, the park’s head of carnivores, said: ‘We are thrilled, though we remain cautious as this is still a very delicate stage in their development.
‘Animesh has had three cubs and they will be health checked by our keepers and vets around three weeks from now.
‘Snow leopards are relatively solitary animals so dad Chan is living separately from Animesh and the cubs, who will remain with their mum until they are around two years old.
‘With a wild population estimated to be as low as 2,700, snow leopards are classed as vulnerable.
One of the seven-week-old snow leopard cubs with its mother Animesh in their enclosure at the Scottish wildlife park
Snow leopards are relatively solitary animals but the cubs will continued to be nursed by their mother
The adorable cubs will stay with their mother until they are two years old, though they have been separated from their father
‘Threats include declining prey populations, protection of livestock and an increasing demand for their bones in traditional Asian medicine.
‘The good news is they are now protected throughout much of their range and the international trade in the species has been banned.
Why is the snow leopard at risk of extinction?
Snow leopards are found across mountains in central Asia and make their homes in rugged landscapes.
Their numbers have dwindled to around 10,000 due to poaching and destruction of habitat while climate change may also affect their survival.
They survive in cold temperatures due to their spotted coats which are thick enough to insulate them from the cold.
Snow leopards are very talented predators and are able to hunt and kill animals three times their own size. Their favourite prey is sheep and mountain goats.
Breeding programmes have been set up around the world to try to increase numbers of the animal.
‘Animesh and Chan are part of the European endangered species breeding programme, with every birth being a potential lifeline and increasing the possibility of future generations being reintroduced into the wild.’
Chan arrived at the Scottish park from Zoo Krefeld in 2015 and Animesh following later the same year from Marwell Zoo.
Last year, the park hit the headlines after two rare Amur leopard cubs were born there.
Unlike snow leopards, these big cats are in a part of the zoo that is off-limits to the public and rarely visited by staff.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland hopes that this reduced human presence means that the Amur leopards at the park will be eligible for reintroduction projects.
Snow leopards are a vulnerable species and their numbers have dwindled because of poaching and destruction of habitat.
Climate change may also affect their survival.
This has led to the implementation of breeding programmes around the world to try and boost snow leopard numbers.
Park staff and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland are delighted with the cubs but say the next three weeks are vital for the cubs’ survival
Though they are still being nursed by their mother, the cubs have started to explore the enclosure
Staff hope that the cubs will now be a lifeline for the species, which is described as being vulnerable
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