For the first time in 93 years: snow leopards were brought to the zoo in England (11 photos + 1 video)

There's good news at Chester Zoo in England. For the first time in 93 years, two snow leopards (irbis) were brought there. They are one of the rarest big cats in the world and are critically endangered.





Two critically endangered snow leopards (or snow leopards) have been brought to Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England. The pair of leopards were brought from another zoo in Europe, where they were being selected as part of a breeding program. This step is the hope of saving the entire species. Male Yashin and female Nubra, who are just over 18 months old, feel great and are settling into their enclosure.



They even created a special enclosure for leopards with a recreated relief of the Himalayan mountains, where they live in the wild. There are two large open areas with semblances of rocks, shallow caves and steep cliffs, simulating the atmosphere of the wild. According to conservationists, the male and female have already become friends: they are both healthy, inquisitive and playful. Now employees hope that the couple will have cubs in the near future.





“The arrival of snow leopards is an amazing development in our zoo's history and our call to protect one of nature's most endangered species,” said Mike Jordan, Zoo Department Director.



Snow leopards are elusive predators that live at high altitudes in the Himalayas and Central Asia. Encounters with them have now become so rare that local residents have nicknamed them “ghosts of the mountains.” Their numbers are affected by a number of threats, including climate change, habitat loss, poaching and human interaction.