Eagle-eyed visitors to the Memphis Zoo might “spot” a new addition to Cat Country. Kira, a female Amur leopard, has been relocated from Twycross Zoo in the U.K., where she was born in 2016, to the Memphis Zoo.
The move represents a partnership between the Memphis Zoo and Twycross Zoo as part of an international breeding program to help preserve the Amur leopard species. Zoo officials made the announcement as part of celebrations for Endangered Species Day, the third Friday in May.
Amur leopards are listed as “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 100 left in the wild. Today, the last remaining wild populations of Amur leopards reside in China and Russia. Habitat loss, prey scarcity, poaching, and illegal trade are some of the threats facing the species in the wild.
“Kira’s arrival is a double win for the Memphis community,” said Memphis Zoo curator Dan Dembiec. “Not only are Amur leopards a gorgeous and dynamic species to see at the zoo, but this is also a real-life conservation story. With this species on the brink of extinction in the wild, zoos across the globe are collaboratively managing a breeding program that will ensure this species endures with the potential to reintroduce back to the wild.”
“This transfer of animals between the United States and the U.K. reinforces the commitment that both countries have in breeding this critically endangered cat,” said Michael Frushour, Amur Leopard Species Survival Plan program leader for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “By working together on a global scale, and sharing each other’s leopard population genetics, the species has a much better chance of survival. Continued and appropriate breeding of this critically endangered species will ultimately contribute to the Global Species Management Program for Amur leopards developing initiatives to hopefully one day reintroduce this leopard into protected areas in Russia and China.”
“Our community is proud to support the zoo in all their endeavors and this achievement should be celebrated. Culture, conservation, and education are important qualities in the City of Memphis, and we are excited to share this remarkable pairing with the community,” said Mayor Jim Strickland.
“We’re delighted to work in partnership with Memphis Zoo to help protect and preserve the Amur leopard species, one of the most endangered big cats in the world,” said Dr. Sharon Redrobe OBE, CEO at Twycross Zoo.