Yesterday was another big day for our little miss snow leopard. She completed her 30 day quarantine period and has her clean bill of heath. So, yesterday morning myself and another keeper got the snow leopard to go inside a crate that was already placed inside her enclosure. We shut the crate door using a pole through the wire, and while the other keeper held the door closed with the pole, I went in and latched up the crate. With her safely contained, we were able to pick up and move the snow leopard down to the den of her new enclosure. Little miss snow leopard will live in the Paseo Panthera exhibit where we housed our late mountain lion and snow leopard.
Right now little miss snow leopard will stay in the off exhibit holding area until the last of the main exhibit area renovations are complete. This allows her time to adjust to all the new sights, sounds and smells of her new home. While she is adjusting, staff is sprucing up the area inside and around the exhibit. Plants are being planted, the meshing is being reinforced, and I am building her a play structure. Hopefully the weather won't set us back too far. I am hopeful that before the end of the month, we at the Micke Grove Zoo can welcome all of you to come see our beautiful little snow leopard out enjoying the grass and the sunshine (and hopefully the structure I will construct).
The pictures below are just a couple quick snaps I got while she was in her den space. The off exhibit holding area is a large space that connects to the den and a dirt area. She spent the night just in the den area last night and will be introduced to the rest of the space by tomorrow. Just like when you bring a new animal to your home, you introduce everything one area at a time so it's not overwhelming and scary. Slow baby steps will make her transition easier.
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| Already comfortable in her space, she is napping in the glow of the sun in her new den. The crate she was transported is in the foreground. |
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| At the end of the day I slid a pan of yummy raw meat under her door as she calmly watched and waited for me to leave so she could enjoy her first dinner in her new home! |
