Marta the Amur leopard makes her first appearance in front of Santa Barbara Zoo guests
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — At three months old, Marta the Amur leopard is the star of the Santa Barbara Zoo. She was born on August 6, 2021. Now she’s big enough to leave her den and explore what will be her home for the next year or two.
Santa Barbara Zoo guests are coming to the zoo to try to get their first glimpses of her. When they see Marta they have their phones out and snap as many pictures and videos as they can.
Marta is the first cub, of hopefully a couple, between mother Ajax and father Kasha. As NewsChannel 3-12 reported, the Santa Barbara Zoo brought Kasha from Chicago as part of the species survival plan.
Marta is only a fraction of the size of her mom Ajax. She spends her time in the habitat running around, climbing on rocks and branches and playing. As Marta spends more time outside her keepers said she is getting more comfortable. Marta enjoys playing with her mom, Ajax, which includes hiding in the hay and pouncing on Ajax when she gets near.
Santa Barbara Zoo’s director of animal care, Rachel Ritchason, said, they added hay to the habitat to make it safer for Marta. As she learns how to climb up branches and rocks she is prone to slip and fall. And the hay is a precaution to make those falls hurt less.
The two will take turns sharing their habitat with Kasha. Ritchason said, normally in the wild the moms raise the cubs on their own. Amur leopards are solitary animals. And males, even cubs’ dads, can be a danger for cubs.
Ritchason said the current plan is for Marta and Ajax to take the morning hours while Kasha gets the later hours. So if you want to see Marta earlier is much better.
When Marta gets older and more independent, in about a year or two, Ritchason said the Santa Barbara Zoo will send Marta to another zoo to have her own cubs. Then they will reintroduce Ajax and Kasha to hopefully have another successful breeding.
Amur leopards are a critically endangered species. They are the most endangered of all big cats with less than 100 remaining in the wild. They are normally found in southeastern Russia and northeastern China. However, they’ve become threatened due to loss of habitat and poaching. Historically they had been seen south of their current territory on the Korean Peninsula. The goal is one day, decades down the road, there will be enough Amur leopards in zoos to introduce them into the wild to build up the wild population.
