Meet the Snow Leopards

Have you ever wondered how snow leopards get their fur so soft and fluffy? Or how they make the most of their exhibit here at the zoo? We took your questions, posted on our Facebook page, straight to the leopards themselves (or maybe to their keepers), to get you answers.  Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to two snow leopards, a 3-year-old female named Kisa and a 3-year-old male named Bhutan.

Facebook Question: Wouldn't life for you be way better if your enclosure was larger ? :)

Answer: Actually, life is pretty great!  The enclosure you see me in is not the only area I live in.  All of us leopards rotate through the three leopard yards and the leopard building, so I get to be in a new area every day, which is very interesting! Sometimes the keepers give me access to multiple enclosures at the same time, which gives me a ton of space to play in!

Facebook Question: What do you want SantaCatPaws to bring you this year? I already know you been a great cat this year.

Answer: Well, you are right...I HAVE been a very good leopard this year! Santa always brings us lots of fun treats and toys for Christmas, but this year I hope he brings me some special meat treats, like deer hides or steak. Those are my favorite!

Facebook Question: Are you as soft as you look?
Answer: Thank you for noticing!  Yes, my fur is very soft on top and feels similar to rabbit fur.  My fur underneath, which is the fur that keeps me warm when it's cold outside, is thicker and more coarse, like sheep wool.


Facebook Question: Can you change your spots?
Answer: I can’t change my spots.  A leopards spots are very much like a human’s fingerprints - they are unique to each individual and never change.  Many people don't know this, but our skin is spotted just like our fur coats!

Facebook Question: Do you know that white is out of season after Labor Day?

Answer: Yes, we know snow leopards are very fashion forward!  But when you're this pretty, you can totally pull off white after Labor Day!

Here are a few more snow leopard facts. A snow leopard’s average height is two feet, average length is six to seven-and-a-half feet, and they weigh from 77 to 121 pounds. Female snow leopards weigh approximately 30% less than males. Snow leopards live for as long as 21 years in captivity. Their reclusive nature makes it hard to determine snow leopard lifespan in the wild. Eating wild sheep and goats, and smaller animals like rodents, hares, and game birds, is what makes up their daily menu. These cats can be found in the rugged mountains of central Asia. Their range spans from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan and Russia in the north, to India and China in the east. China is home to about 60% of snow leopard habitat. Snow leopards have already disappeared from certain areas of Mongolia, which is part of their historic range.  Due to the high demand for their coats, snow leopards are illegally hunted for the fur trade. Very rare in most of their range, an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards are left in the wild, with 600 to 700 in zoos around the world.