Nature & Environment
Twycross Zoo Welcomes a Pair of Amur Leopard [VIDEO]
Benita Matilda
First Posted: Jul 26, 2014 03:07 AM EDT
Twycross zoo is thrilled to announce the arrival of a pair of Amur leopards - world's rarest big cats.
In a latest announcement, the staff at Twycross zoo revealed that two of the world's rarest big cats were born June 2, to mother Kristen and dad Davidoff. The birth of the cubs represents a significant step towards ensuring the survival of the species that are on the brink of extinction in the wild.
Dr Charlotte Macdonald, Head of Life Sciences at Twycross Zoo, said: "We are delighted with the birth of two rare Amur leopard cubs at Twycross Zoo. We are hopeful that these UK-born babies will one day be part of wider conservation plans for the reintroduction of the species to the wild."
Amur Leopards (Panthera pardus orientails) are the world's most endangered cats. The solitary, nocturnal leopard dominated the Amur River basin of eastern Russia. They are extinct in China and Korean Peninsula. They attain reproductive maturity between two-three years of age and the length of their gestation period ranges from 90-95 days. They reproduce at the end of March through May.
Experts estimated that there are less than 50 individual leopards existing in the wild, hence these species are listed as vulnerable to extinction. The factors that threaten the survival of these species include illegal logging, poaching, forest clearance and land development. Apart from this, wild disease and in-breeding in small population are also risk factors.
The captive breeding programs such as European Endangered Species Program (EPP) - which Twycross is a part of - are important for the survival of endangered species. Their expert committees act like modern online dating that analyze data from captive Amur leopards from zoos across Europe that is suitable for breeding matches.
Dr John Lewis, veterinary advisor to the Amur leopard and tiger EEP and veterinary director of Wildlife Vets International, explains: "We don't know how many of the Amur leopards remaining in the wild are young or old, male or female. So if the population is skewed towards too many males, or too many older individuals, this can impact the species' chances of breeding successfully. The added threats of disease and human-animal conflict also jeopardise the animals' survival. Zoo breeding programmes are fundamental to protecting and saving species that are close to extinction in the wild."
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First Posted: Jul 26, 2014 03:07 AM EDT
Twycross zoo is thrilled to announce the arrival of a pair of Amur leopards - world's rarest big cats.
In a latest announcement, the staff at Twycross zoo revealed that two of the world's rarest big cats were born June 2, to mother Kristen and dad Davidoff. The birth of the cubs represents a significant step towards ensuring the survival of the species that are on the brink of extinction in the wild.
Dr Charlotte Macdonald, Head of Life Sciences at Twycross Zoo, said: "We are delighted with the birth of two rare Amur leopard cubs at Twycross Zoo. We are hopeful that these UK-born babies will one day be part of wider conservation plans for the reintroduction of the species to the wild."
Amur Leopards (Panthera pardus orientails) are the world's most endangered cats. The solitary, nocturnal leopard dominated the Amur River basin of eastern Russia. They are extinct in China and Korean Peninsula. They attain reproductive maturity between two-three years of age and the length of their gestation period ranges from 90-95 days. They reproduce at the end of March through May.
Experts estimated that there are less than 50 individual leopards existing in the wild, hence these species are listed as vulnerable to extinction. The factors that threaten the survival of these species include illegal logging, poaching, forest clearance and land development. Apart from this, wild disease and in-breeding in small population are also risk factors.
The captive breeding programs such as European Endangered Species Program (EPP) - which Twycross is a part of - are important for the survival of endangered species. Their expert committees act like modern online dating that analyze data from captive Amur leopards from zoos across Europe that is suitable for breeding matches.
Dr John Lewis, veterinary advisor to the Amur leopard and tiger EEP and veterinary director of Wildlife Vets International, explains: "We don't know how many of the Amur leopards remaining in the wild are young or old, male or female. So if the population is skewed towards too many males, or too many older individuals, this can impact the species' chances of breeding successfully. The added threats of disease and human-animal conflict also jeopardise the animals' survival. Zoo breeding programmes are fundamental to protecting and saving species that are close to extinction in the wild."
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone