Australasian Snow Leopard Population

An overdue update on the snow leopard population.

The latest news since the original thread are that Tasmania Zoo has now received 1.0 male Sikari from Melbourne Zoo, they also plan to import a female sometime in the new year.

Sadly 0.1 female Tenzin has passed away at Mogo Wildlife Park and once again reducing the amount of holders in the region to three as mogo will now reuse her exhibit to house caracal.

however excitingly wellington zoo should be ready to receive 0.2 females Asha and Manju around march of this year, they will be the first snow leopards to reside at Wellington zoo as well as the whole of new Zealand since 1995.

It should also be noted that Melbourne Zoo plans to breed from their current pair in thw future but presumably only when Asha and Manju leave for wellington.

While i dont have any info on 0.1 female Samara at Billabong Zoo she will be listed but as presumably deceased.

Billabong Zoo, NSW, Australia

1.0 Khumbu (Mangar x Lena) 12-10-2003 At Mogo Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
1.0 Sabu (Leon x Samara) 00-00-2005 At Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia

Melbourne Zoo

0.1 Sundar (Leon x meo) 7-12-2008 at Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Australia
1.0 Kang Ju (Unknown x Unknown) 00-00-2015 At Nuremberg Zoo, Germany; imported 2017
0.1 Miska (Wolfgang x Kadi) 11-06-2016 At South Lakes Safari Zoo, UK; Imported 2017
0.1 Asha (Kang Ju x Miska) 26-01-2020 At Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Manju (Kang Ju x Miska) 26-01-2020 At Melbourne Zoo

Tasmania Zoo

1.0 Sikari (Kang Ju x Miska) 26-01-2020 At Melbourne Zoo

Note: Presumably deceased

0.1 Samara (Lanak x Fuji) 29-05-2001 at Mulhouse Zoo, France; Imported 2003.
 
Info on Kang Ju:
1.0 Kang Ju (Indra x Pia) 11-08-2015 at Nuremberg.

Is there any information as to when Kemala would have passed away at Billabong Zoo or Leon at Melbourne Zoo?
 
Patrick Keegan said:
An overdue update on the snow leopard population.

The latest news since the original thread are that Tasmania Zoo has now received 1.0 male Sikari from Melbourne Zoo, they also plan to import a female sometime in the new year.

Sadly 0.1 female Tenzin has passed away at Mogo Wildlife Park and once again reducing the amount of holders in the region to three as mogo will now reuse her exhibit to house caracal.

however excitingly wellington zoo should be ready to receive 0.2 females Asha and Manju around march of this year, they will be the first snow leopards to reside at Wellington zoo as well as the whole of new Zealand since 1995.

It should also be noted that Melbourne Zoo plans to breed from their current pair in thw future but presumably only when Asha and Manju leave for wellington.

While i dont have any info on 0.1 female Samara at Billabong Zoo she will be listed but as presumably deceased.

Billabong Zoo, NSW, Australia

1.0 Khumbu (Mangar x Lena) 12-10-2003 At Mogo Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
1.0 Sabu (Leon x Samara) 00-00-2005 At Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia

Melbourne Zoo

0.1 Sundar (Leon x meo) 7-12-2008 at Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Australia
1.0 Kang Ju (Unknown x Unknown) 00-00-2015 At Nuremberg Zoo, Germany; imported 2017
0.1 Miska (Wolfgang x Kadi) 11-06-2016 At South Lakes Safari Zoo, UK; Imported 2017
0.1 Asha (Kang Ju x Miska) 26-01-2020 At Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Manju (Kang Ju x Miska) 26-01-2020 At Melbourne Zoo

Tasmania Zoo

1.0 Sikari (Kang Ju x Miska) 26-01-2020 At Melbourne Zoo

Note: Presumably deceased

0.1 Samara (Lanak x Fuji) 29-05-2001 at Mulhouse Zoo, France; Imported 2003.
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I thought Melbourne zoo only held 4 snow leopards
 
dylan downward said:
Ahhh that makes more sense I knew 2 would be heading off to Wellington zoo at some point this year but I never heard of sundar being at Melbourne zoo
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That’s understandable as Melbourne rarely post about their off display Snow leopards.

For many decades they had two pairs - one on display; one on display - with Gregor and Shimbu overlapping with Leon and Meo; who along with their daughter, then overlapped with Kang Ju and Mishka.
 
dylan downward said:
Ahhh that makes more sense I knew 2 would be heading off to Wellington zoo at some point this year but I never heard of sundar being at Melbourne zoo
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She was frequently mentioned in the past being Melbourne’s ‘Snow Leopard cub’ - she was born there in 2008.

She’s been off display for six years now though; and I believe she’s off display behind the Tigers atm. She was initially intended to be sent to the Carnivores precinct and live in Miska’s enclosure, but plans changed and she’s remained off display ever since.
 
Jambo said:
She was frequently mentioned in the past being Melbourne’s ‘Snow Leopard cub’ - she was born there in 2008.

She’s been off display for six years now though; and I believe she’s off display behind the Tigers atm. She was initially intended to be sent to the Carnivores precinct and live in Miska’s enclosure, but plans changed and she’s remained off display ever since.
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I wonder why
 
dylan downward said:
I wonder why
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Snow leopard aren’t a naturally confident species. It would have been preferable to acclimatise Mishka to being on display as she was a breeding animal.

Aside from the appeal of having a mother and cubs on display, the aim is to produce socially well adjusted cats and the first step is a mother comfortable with being on display.
 
Jambo said:
@Patrick Keegan can sadly confirm through email that 0.1 Samara died last year at the age of 20.

The regional population currently stands at 4.4.

Hopefully Tasmania can import a female to breed with Sikari to form a second breeding pair to support Melbourne.
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If a second breeding pair were to be formed in the region, it’d be preferable if they were both founders. Unfortunately, Tasmania Zoo can’t accomodate three adult Snow leopards and nobody else appears to be interested in this species.

The Australasian region once had multiple unrelated founders, but at this rate we’re going to have a population entirely descended from Melbourne’s pair. I imagine Billabong will receive surplus from Melbourne’s next litter once their elderly males pass on.
 
WanderingDragon said:
Info on Kang Ju:
1.0 Kang Ju (Indra x Pia) 11-08-2015 at Nuremberg.

Is there any information as to when Kemala would have passed away at Billabong Zoo or Leon at Melbourne Zoo?
Click to expand...

Zoofan15 said:
Leon died at Melbourne Zoo in 2017; and Kamala died at Billabong Zoo in 2019. I don’t know exact dates.
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Leon actually died in 2018 from my records, alongside Meo. He was still alive as of December 2017; mentioned in the Summer Zoo News which covered the Snow Leopards apart of the then new, Carnivores precinct.
 
As mentioned in the Melbourne Zoo thread three year old snow leopards Asha and Manju will arrive at Wellington Zoo in early April and will be on display april 12.

This will reduce Melbourne's population to 1.2 as well as make breeding a possibility again and we'll hopefully be seeing some more cubs in the near future.
 
Patrick Keegan said:
As mentioned in the Melbourne Zoo thread three year old snow leopards Asha and Manju will arrive at Wellington Zoo in early April and will be on display april 12.

This will reduce Melbourne's population to 1.2 as well as make breeding a possibility again and we'll hopefully be seeing some more cubs in the near future.
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I'll be fascinated to see if any new holders arise long term. Melbourne Zoo have previously indicated plans to breed their pair again in a year or two, though this will depend on studbook reccomendations.

The birth of a new litter will coincide with Billabong's elderly Snow leopards reaching the end of their lifespan, which is the obvious destination at this point in time. In any event, Melbourne have the capacity to hold their next litter well into adulthood.
 
Patrick Keegan said:
As mentioned in the Melbourne Zoo thread three year old snow leopards Asha and Manju will arrive at Wellington Zoo in early April and will be on display april 12.

This will reduce Melbourne's population to 1.2 as well as make breeding a possibility again and we'll hopefully be seeing some more cubs in the near future.
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What are the snow leopards left at Melbourne after the last of the cubs are sent off I thought Melbourne only held 4 the cubs and there parents
 
dylan downward said:
What are the snow leopards left at Melbourne after the last of the cubs are sent off I thought Melbourne only held 4 the cubs and there parents
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The three snow leopards that'll be left at Melbourne are

1.0 Kang Ju (Inda & Pia) 11-08-2015 at Nuremberg Zoo, Germany; imported 2017

0.1 Sundar (Leon & Meo) 7-12-2008 at Melbourne Zoo (off display)

0.1 Miska (Wolfgang & Kadi) 11-6-2016 at south Lakes Safari Zoo, Uk; imported 2017
 
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