- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo announced the birth of an Amur leopard cub on July 14 – the first Amur leopard ever born at the zoo in its 144-year history, and the first in any Ohio zoo.
- The cub was born just after midnight on July 1 to first-time parents Marta, 5, and Sylas, 4, at the zoo’s Asian Highlands habitat; fewer than 100 Amur leopards are believed to survive in the wild.
- “Every birth offers renewed hope for the future of this iconic species,” said Dr. Chris Kuhar of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as keepers monitor the cub and mother behind the scenes over the coming weeks.
An Amur leopard cub born this month is the first of its kind – and one of fewer than 100 left in the wild.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo announced this month that the Amur leopard cub had been born on its grounds for the first time in the zoo’s 144-year history – and it is the first Amur leopard birth at any zoo in Ohio.
The cub arrived just after midnight on July 1, born to five-year-old mother Marta and four-year-old father Sylas at the zoo’s Asian Highlands habitat. Both are first-time parents.
Amur leopards are among the rarest big cats on Earth. Fewer than 100 are believed to survive in the wild, confined to a single region of southwestern Russia. Zoos worldwide hold an estimated 200 to 300 more.
Keepers say the cub is already nursing, being groomed by Marta, and moving around on its own, though the pair will stay out of public view for several weeks while they bond.
“The birth of this Amur leopard cub is an extraordinary milestone for Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and a meaningful contribution to the long-term sustainability of the Amur leopard population in human care,” said Dr. Chris Kuhar of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. “Every birth offers renewed hope for the future of this iconic species and is reflective of the exceptional work of our Animal Care team and the Zoo’s commitment to global wildlife conservation.”
The birth counts toward the Amur Leopard Species Survival Plan, a coordinated breeding program run through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums that helps maintain genetic diversity among the world’s zoo-housed leopards. Since 2013, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has put more than $50,000 toward Amur tiger conservation work that also benefits leopards in the wild.
It’s the second birth at Asian Highlands in a matter of weeks, following a red panda cub born June 21. The Amur leopard cub’s sex hasn’t been confirmed yet, and the zoo plans a public naming opportunity to support Amur leopard conservation.
For now, Sylas remains on view for visitors at Asian Highlands – while, behind the scenes, Marta and her cub get to know each other.
