Santa Barbara Zoo leopard is pregnant

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Zoo's leopard family is growing.

The zoo announced on Tuesday that Ajax, the zoo's female Amur leopard, is pregnant.

The leopard cub will be the first Amur leopard birth at the Santa Barbara Zoo in more than 20 years. It's the first pregnancy for Ajax and her mating partner, Kasha, the zoo's male leopard who arrived in 2020. Kasha has previously sired four other cubs.

The baby is expected to be born later this summer.

“Conservation is a critical part of our mission, and we’re proud to celebrate Ajax’s pregnancy with our colleagues and conservation partners, as well as the Santa Barbara community and beyond," said Dr. Julie Barnes, the Zoo’s Vice President of Animal Care & Health. "Breeding Amur leopards is complicated and challenging and our team has worked really hard to help Ajax get pregnant.”

Amur leopards are a critically endangered species, the Santa Barbara Zoo said. They are the most endangered of all big cats with less than 100 remaining in the wild.

The leopard cub will play a important role in the efforts to preserve the endangered species.

Those interested in following along with Ajax's pregnancy are encouraged to follow the zoo on social media.

For more information about the Santa Barbara Zoo, click here.