First vet check and a little update!

Posted by: Carrie McMorris ~Animal Care Specialist

Greetings!

We have been busy bees around here at the zoo. With all the wonderful changes and new animals, I have been working hard to get everything ready for our two new cats. As most of you know we just released our Bobcat into his new enclosure. He lives between the Golden Eagle and a group of Golden Lion Tamarins.  He is settling in well and is a joy to watch.  But now my focus turns to our little 8 month old Snow Leopard.

Her adventure was wonderfully laid out by the zoo's curator Avanti in the previous blog, and now she is in her third week of quarantine.  Last week on January 15th she had her first exam and all went very smoothly and she is healthy.  While she was under anesthesia, I was able to make several paw prints.  Each paw print is unique and original and will be available for sale in the Zootique (gift shop) when the snow leopard is released into her enclosure. These prints are a limited addition as I can only get them made once a year!!!!



Top- Snow Leopard on the scale to get her weight - 16kg (~35lbs)
Bottom-Zoo vets examining the Snow Leopard.





Her foot!!! Because we are obsessed with feet!




This is me getting the paw print while the vets are doing their exam.

If you have been to the zoo lately, you know we are doing some renovations to Paseo Panthera, the exhibit the snow leopard will live in.  We here at the zoo want to ensure she will be a happy little kitty in her new home as well as a safe environment for her to be in.  All this work needs to be done prior to the snow leopard being released into the exhibit. So far everything is on schedule but a release date for the snow leopard has not been set.  Since she is a little shy, she is not as willing to shift and move around the keeper staff like the bobcat did.  We as keepers will be working based on her schedule and her comfort level.  When the snow leopard is ready to leave quarantine, she will be moved to her behind the scenes holding area just off the exhibit. She will spend some time there getting used to the new smells, sights and sounds.  This is also where the keeper staff will start teaching her the new daily routine.  When she is ready, she will be released into her new exhibit!!!  I am looking forward to that day because this exhibit is very different and much larger than the one she had back at the Albuquerque Zoo.  This little girl is a spit fire and absolutely beautiful!