The Calgary Zoo has a new cat in town.
A new snow leopard that arrived in late January met with the facility’s existing female leopard after spending a routine 30 days in quarantine last week.
“This is standard procedure when introducing new animals, with the amount of time they need to spend together gradually increasing as they adjust to their new companion,” curator Bob Peel said.
While the animals will remain separate from each other for a few weeks yet, they can visibly see one another.
The pair is a part of a Species Survival Program managed through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Snow leopards have been classified as endangered since 1986 and wild numbers are estimated between 4,000 to 6,000.
“We are committed to protecting these endangered animals through our work with the Snow Leopard Conservancy in the field,” Calgary Zoo’s Kevin Strange said in a release.
