persian leopards / animals from iran in North American zoos

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shay salehi

Member
Does anyone know of any Persian leopards in the US or Canada right now (2022)? Or any other rare wildlife native to Iran that are on display within US/Canada. Specifically closer to the North East of the US.
 
Quite a few zoos in the Northeast, and around the whole country, keep an Iranian species- Eublepharis macularius.
 
Basically searching for any of these species of cats within an American zoo (or Canada), particularly in the north east: (althought the reptiles/amphibians are helpful tips)


"Iran has long been home to some 10 feliformia (“cat-like” carnivores) suborder species, including Asiatic cheetah, Persian leopard, caracal, lynx, Pallas’s cat, sand cat, jungle cat and wild cat, as well as two extinct types, Caspian tiger and Asiatic lion."
 
cloudedleopard611 said:
Very far from the Northeast but the only place I could confirm was the EFBC's Conservation Center in Rosamond California. They have a five year old male named Bam Bam. Its confusing though because the website says he arrived to the sanctuary in 2011, but was born in 2017. My best guess is 2011 is when the facility obtained the subspecies in general. Either way, according to the website he is the only one in the United States.
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Bam Bam was born on July 5, 2007 and is now 15 years old. He lives in an area not normally open to the public except for during their evening Twilight Tours which have not taken place since COVID-19. Even when visitors could access that area, based on my many visits over the years, he would typically hide in his den box and sightings were rare.

I am aware of 2 other Persian leopards they had: (1) A male named Shapur who was born on October 5, 1993, arrived at EFBC in January 2007 (I believe from the San Diego Zoo) and passed away in January 2013 and (2) A female named Kiana who was born on March 11, 2007 at Zoo Parc de Beauval in France, arrived at EFBC in August 2009 and passed away in 2015.
 
shay salehi said:
Basically searching for any of these species of cats within an American zoo (or Canada), particularly in the north east: (althought the reptiles/amphibians are helpful tips)


"Iran has long been home to some 10 feliformia (“cat-like” carnivores) suborder species, including Asiatic cheetah, Persian leopard, caracal, lynx, Pallas’s cat, sand cat, jungle cat and wild cat, as well as two extinct types, Caspian tiger and Asiatic lion."
Click to expand...
Only two species on that list I have seen are the sand cat, which I saw at the Buffalo Zoo in Buffalo, NY, and the Eurasian Lynx, which I saw the Carpathian and Siberian subspecies at Animal Adventures Family Zoo (which I wrote an extensive review of and would not recommend).
 
Elena said:
Bam Bam was born on July 5, 2007 and is now 15 years old. He lives in an area not normally open to the public except for during their evening Twilight Tours which have not taken place since COVID-19. Even when visitors could access that area, based on my many visits over the years, he would typically hide in his den box and sightings were rare.

I am aware of 2 other Persian leopards they had: (1) A male named Shapur who was born on October 5, 1993, arrived at EFBC in January 2007 (I believe from the San Diego Zoo) and passed away in January 2013 and (2) A female named Kiana who was born on March 11, 2007 at Zoo Parc de Beauval in France, arrived at EFBC in August 2009 and passed away in 2015.
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Oh, ok. The website was really confusing.
 
shay salehi said:
"Iran has long been home to some 10 feliformia (“cat-like” carnivores) suborder species, including Asiatic cheetah, Persian leopard, caracal, lynx, Pallas’s cat, sand cat, jungle cat and wild cat, as well as two extinct types, Caspian tiger and Asiatic lion."
Click to expand...

Caracals, Pallas's cats, sand cats and Eurasian Lynx are all prevalent in some numbers, with many of the first and last of those found in smaller privately-run zoos of varying quality. Jungle and wildcat are rare, and I don't know if any are of the Persian type or subspecies.

We have a thread dedicated to tracking felid populations in American zoos: Felids of the United States
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Caracals, Pallas's cats, sand cats and Eurasian Lynx are all prevalent in some numbers, with many of the first and last of those found in smaller privately-run zoos of varying quality. Jungle and wildcat are rare, and I don't know if any are of the Persian type or subspecies.

We have a thread dedicated to tracking felid populations in American zoos: Felids of the United States
Click to expand...

Ugh, reminding me how far behind I am in updating that one :P

Caracal - The only place in the northeast with Caracal is Hawk Creek Wildlife Center near Buffalo. They're only open a few days a year. They also have Eurasian lynx and sand cat, and are the breeders of many of the sand cats now in the USA. Erie Zoo (nw PA) is the next closest with caracal.

Sand - Buffalo, Ross Park/Binghamton, and Prospect Park in NY.

Pallas's - Prospect Park, Ross Park/Binghamton, and Utica in NY.

Eurasian lynx - Animal Adventures Family Zoo MA, Jungle Encounters MA, Bridges For Brain Injury NY, Jungle Experience Zoo NY, DEW Haven ME, and York's Wild Kingdom ME are the holders in the northeast.

Junglecat - Animal Park at the Conservator's Center, NC. Noah's Lost Ark in OH has a hybrid.

Wildcat - Birmingham Zoo, AL.
 
This individual is long gone but I believe Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago held a Persian leopard in the 2000s.
 
reposting this but more specifically looking in canada:

Does anyone know of any Persian leopards in the Canada right now (2022)? Or any other rare wildlife native to Iran that are on display within Canada. Specifically closer to the North East if possible.
 
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