LODI - Zoo officials are throwing a coming-out party today to celebrate a new snow leopard at Micke Grove Zoo.
The big cat is actually more of kitten. It turned 1-year-old last Saturday. It was brought to the zoo in January.
It didn't go directly into its new home in the Paseo Pantera exhibit. The animal was held in quarantine before being eased into the public eye.
The Snow Leopard First Day-Birthday celebration will include crafts, games and talks - all staying with the snow leopard theme.
The party is from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., but after 1 p.m., the Micke Grove Zoological Society will be giving out free snow cones.
The snow leopard is an endangered species, and the zoo has housed them since 1986. Nine have been born there, according to zoo officials.
It's estimated there are 2,500 to 6,500 snow leopards in the wild, according to the zoo. Micke Grove got its latest leopard from the Albuquerque BioPark in Albuquerque, N.M., through a recommendation from the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan.
The zoo's new cat is a female. In an announcement, zookeepers say that visitors will be able to watch the shy but curious animal grow into a mature adult.READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment