NEWSLINK: Elderly Snow Leopard Dies Suddenly at Santa Barbara Zoo

An elderly snow leopard named Zoe passed away on Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Though she was advanced in age and being treated for related ailments, her death was sudden and unexpected. A keeper in the vicinity alerted the Zoo’s veterinary team, which attempted to resuscitate the 15-year-old big cat, but were unsuccessful. “Zoe was being treated for osteoarthritis of her hind legs, early renal failure, and hypertension, which are common in geriatric large cats,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, the Zoo’s director of animal care and health. “Given the suddenness of her death, I suspect a heart attack or a stroke.”

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