Santa Barbara Zoo announces birth of endangered Amur leopard
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Zoo is celebrating the birth of an Amur leopard cub.
Ajax gave birth to Marta on Friday, Aug. 6 at 4:05 a.m. The zoo announced the pregnancy in July.
The cub and its mother are doing well and are bonding behind the scenes, according to zoo officials.
Marta was given her name name by Premier Foster Feeder sponsors, Marta Holsman Babson and Henrietta Holsman
The cub weighed in at 517 gms (1.1 lbs) at its first medical examination.
“Based on video monitoring, the cub appeared strong and active after birth,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, the Zoo’s Vice President of Animal Care & Health. “Unfortunately we did not see any confirmed nursing within the first 12 hours after birth, so the cub required some supportive care. Ajax was separated briefly from the cub and then reunited. Nursing was observed a few hours later. Ajax seems to be settling into motherhood well and is exhibiting good maternal behavior so far. The first week is a critical period for cub survival. If all goes well, we will leave mother and cub alone to bond during this time and continue monitoring them closely by video.”
Ajax and the new cub will not be visible to visitors for several months as they bond behind the scenes.
Once the cub is ready, Ajax and the cub will rotate with the father, Kasha, in having access to their exhibit habitat.
"In the wild, males and females usually do not remain together after breeding occurs, so this separation is important for the safety of Ajax and the cub" zoo officials said.
This is the first Amur leopard birth at the Santa Barbara Zoo in more than 20 years.
Ajax is the most genetically valuable female Amur leopard in North America currently, so this first cub from her will contribute valuable genetics to the population in human care.
Amur leopards are the most endangered of all the big cats, with less than 100 remaining in the wild. The Zoo has been attempting to breed the species for several years now as part of the conservation efforts for this species.
