New Amur Leopard Spotted at Brookfield Zoo

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: December 7, 2021 7:21 pm

Mina, a 2-year-old Amur leopard, arrived at Brookfield Zoo this fall and can now be seen in her outdoor yard. The Amur leopard is critically endangered with less than 100 individuals left in the wild.

Photo Credit: Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo

Brookfield Zoo have welcomed the arrival of a 2 year old Amur leopard. Mina has made the move from an accredited zoo in New York. Since her arrival she has spent time in an off-display space where she has been acclimating to her new home.

Recently she has begun to spend mornings in the outdoor habitat which she shares with the zoo’s two other Amur leopards – Lisa and Sasha. You can tell them apart as Mina has a longer tail then Lisa. Her tail does not curl in the same way that Sasha’s does.

You will also notice a small notch missing at the top of Mina’s ear.

During early 2023 Mina will be introduced to Sasha, also 2. Their pairing comes from a recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Amur Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP). An SSP is a cooperative population management and conservation program for select species in accredited North American zoos and aquariums.

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Amur leopards are considered critically endangered in the wild. It is though that less than 100 individuals remain in the wild where they are restricted to border areas between the Russian Far East and northeast China.

They are the northernmost species of leopard in the world and are often mistaken for a snow leopard. They are found in temperate areas with cold winters and hot summers.

Unfortunately they are increasingly threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss and climate change.

Learn more about Amur Leopards here – Amur Leopard Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about the Brookfield Zoo on their website – Brookfield Zoo

Mina, a 2-year-old Amur leopard, arrived at Brookfield Zoo this fall and can now be seen in her outdoor yard. The Amur leopard is critically endangered with less than 100 individuals left in the wild.

Photo Credit: Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo