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Rare
Leopard Cubs on Exhibit
The two rare Amur leopard cubs "Dima" and "Tosya" that were born at
CMZ in May 2004 can now be observed playing in their Asian Highlands exhibit.
After being in seclusion with their mother for the first few months of
their lives, the cubs now have full access to the leopard yard. Human contact
can cause undue stress on a mother leopard and her cubs, so Zoo staff was
“hands-off” for the first eight weeks. 
The cubs’ older sister, Dazma, from Katia’s spring 2001 litter, will soon be calling Denver Zoo her new home. Dazma’s litter mate, male Kavan, was recently shipped to Zoo New England. The two new leopard cubs will also eventually be placed in homes in other AZA-accredited institutions, on recommendations from the Species Survival Plan program.
The Amur leopard, which is highly endangered, is native to Manchuria,
northern China and North Korea. They are nocturnal; resting by day on the
branches of trees, in dense vegetation or among rocks. Leopards have acute
vision and hearing and climb with great agility, and its sense of smell
is better developed than in the tiger. They are declining in number because
of the commercial demand for their fur and loss of habitat.
