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Posted: July 23, 2014
A pair of extremely rare big cats have been born at Twycross Zoo, giving conservationists a big boost in the fight against their extinction. The endangered baby Amur leopards, which haven’t been named yet, are among the world’s rarest animals, with less than 50 known individuals worldwide – although numbers are so few that experts are unable to count them accurately.
Breeders say poaching and the destruction of their natural habitat have pushed the shrinking population to the brink of extinction. Fears that they will die out completely have prompted conservationists to class the species as “critically endangered” – just two categories away from extinct.
However, they are celebrating after the two tiny leopards were born at the Leicestershire zoo as part of European Endangered Species Programme (EEP). They said the arrival represents a significant step forward in ensuring the survival of the species.
Dr John Lewis, veterinary adviser to the Amur leopard and tiger EEP, said: “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.” Dr Lewis is also veterinary director of Wildlife Vets International, which funded the breeding programme.
The siblings were born on June 2, but their sex has not yet been determined as keepers have been keeping their distance. Their mum, Kristen, was born in September 2011, and arrived at Twycross in February 2013, while dad, Davidoff, was born at the zoo in November 2006.
There are plans to reintroduce the young pair to the wild and bolster Amur leopard numbers in Russia, but wildlife conservationists are still negotiating with the Russian government over whether the mammals will be allowed back into the country’s south-eastern region.
Dr Charlotte Macdonald, head of life sciences at Twycross, said: “We are delighted with the birth of the two cubs. “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. Although animals are best conserved in the wild – and it’s unlikely that any reintroduction will take place for several more years – captive-bred cubs such as these could help save the Amur leopard from disappearing forever.”
An endangered species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List is the system used to categorise animal species and ranges from "not evaluated" to "extinct."
Twycross Zoo's newest leopards are classed as "critically endangered" – two steps away from extinction.
1 Not evaluated – Not yet categorised
2 Data deficient – Not enough data to make an assessment
3 Least concern – Species are widespread
4 Near threatened – Likely to become endangered in the near future
5 Vulnerable – High risk of endangerment in the wild
6 Endangered – High risk of extinction in the wild
7 Critically endangered – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild (the Amur leopards)
8 Extinct in the wild – Known only to survive in captivity
9 Extinct – No known individuals remaining
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