Snow Leopard Conservation

Snow Leopard Conservation. . , Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia) are one of the most endangered species of wild cat on the planet with an estimated population of 4000-6000 individuals left in the wild. Their population has declined 20% over the past 2 generations, making Snow Leopard survival in the wild very uncertain., That is why Accredited Zoos, like the Cape May County Zoo, participate in a captive captive breeding program to ensure the survivability of Snow Leopards in the wild. Through the Species Survival Plan (SSP), genetically compatible animals are matched up in hopes that they successfully produce offspring. The offspring will then enter the SSP breeding program at other accredited facilities and will continue to propagate, ensuring that genetically diverse populations of animals exist in captivity. This captive population acts like an insurance policy, if wild populations ever become unsustainable then a very genetically strong population exists in Zoos that will allow for the repatriation of animals back into the wild., The Cape May County Zoo is proud to participate in this worthy program for these extremely rare cats. There are approximately 150 Snow Leopards in accredited zoos in North America. Historically the captive population of Snow Leopards has been declining due to poor reproduction, but because of strong leadership from the SSP, the captive population has been increasing the past few years. Successful captive reproduction has been increasing the past few years. Successful captive reproduction is still a rare event though, with only 11 births in 2008, 14 births in 2009 and 15 births in 2010. The Cape May County Zoo is happy to have been one of those success stories. Having had successful breeding here, we are helping to diversify the captive population and, in turn, guaranteeing the survival of these great cats in the wild.