Taking the next step

Posted by : Carrie McMorris Animal Care Specialist


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.


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.

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!

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!