Rare and Precious

tanjabrittonwriter 43 Comments

When your species numbers only 300+ individuals globally, you are considered critically endangered. As a baby born to such a rare set, you constitute roughly 0.33% of your kind. Such is the case for Basha and Mango, two Amur Leopard cubs born on May 17, 2023 at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.

Amur Leopards (Panterus pardus orientalis) are a subspecies of leopard (their African relatives are the nominate subspecies, Panterus pardus pardus). Their numbers have been decimated due to loss of habitat and loss of life from poaching. Their beautiful coats fetch a lot of money, as do their bones (please don’t wear the fur of rare animals or use their body parts to enhance your libido!).

The wild population lives mostly in mature forests in Far East Russia and across the border in China (which is home to the Amur River and Amur region). The 1970s alone saw a loss of 80% of the animals’ habitat as a result of deforestation and it is estimated that their population had plummeted to 19-26 individuals as recently as 2007. Concerted anti-poaching efforts and the establishment of the Land of the Leopard National Park in 2012 in eastern Russia, which covers 650,000 acres, has enabled more leopards to survive. Breeding programs at zoos and wildlife parks also add to the number of captive animals.

With only 100 Amur Leopards surviving in the wild, and 200 to 220 in various species survival programs, brothers Basha and Mango, together with their mother, Anya, and father, Anadyr, represent approximately 1% of all extant Amur Leopards. Reason enough to schedule a visit to our local zoo to welcome the new arrivals.

Mother Anya

Father Anadyr

August 14, 2023 was an unusually cool summer day, starting out with the thermometer in the mid-60s (about 18⁰ C) under cloudy skies, and never warming above 75 degrees (24⁰ C)—my favorite sort of day. Luckily, it also seemed a good temperature for the cubs, as they were out in the open with their mother, exploring their enclosure and playing with one another. My husband and I were among their first admirers in the morning and easily watched them for an hour before returning there once again in the afternoon to catch a few more glimpses, and photographs. Of course, all were taken through a fence, and I don’t have a photo editing program that can remove the wires, or maybe I do, but haven’t bothered to find out.

The brothers were the first Amur Leopards born at our zoo in nearly 20 years and are creating much excitement and elation, especially in the wake of two previous failed pregnancies by now 9-year-old Anya. As is the norm, the cubs weren’t given a name for the first 30 days. Their gender wasn’t known until they were first handled by zoo staff when two months old, and their names were subsequently selected by generous benefactors. Basha’s was inspired by the leopards’ lead zoo keeper, Basia; Mango’s was chosen in honor of the donor’s deceased cat.

Without further ado, meet the protagonists of today’s post: Mango and Basha. Mango has a darker coat than his brother and the facial markings above his nose resemble the letter “M,” while Basha is lighter in color and slightly larger in size. Upon close inspection, he has a heart-shaped mark lateral to his left eye, which is visible in one of the images.

Mango (the lines above his nose resemble the letter “M”)

Basha (look for the heart-shaped spot lateral to his left eye)

Mango

Basha on the left, Mango on the right

Mango seems to be the leader among the siblings. He was typically the first to climb a log, explore a new corner of the yard, or pounce—and chew on—Basha’s or Anya’s tail. He also seemed to pay more attention to visitors, which likely accounts for the fact that I took more snapshots of him. Father Anadyr was in a nearby enclosure but he doesn’t have contact with his offspring, in accordance with the cats’ natural behavior in the wild.

Mango

Basha (I think)

I’m so happy to have met Basha and Mango, two rare and precious creatures. We wish them and their parents—as well as all their critically endangered kind—good luck. The birth of these charismatic cats is a harbinger of hope for their beleaguered species.

43 thoughts on “Rare and Precious”

    • According to the zoo staff, the males of most species of big cats, except for lions, are not involved in the raising of their offspring. After they mate with the females, they take off and continue to live a solitary life.
      Why is a question for a higher authority.

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    • Thank you for your comment. If we lived in an ideal world where all creatures were equally valued and protected, we would not need zoos. The sad truth is that if it weren’t for zoos, more animals would go extinct.

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  12. No way! Those babies are way beyond beautiful! How lucky you are that you got to see them, and that you’ll be able to watch them grow. I love the way you managed to get great pics while working around their wire of the cages. Their personalities shine through!
    Thanks for posting,
    Julie

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    • Thank you, Julie. I’m glad you were able to get a glimpse of their different personalities. We hope they will continue to thrive and look forward to keeping up with their development.
      Feline greetings,
      Tanja

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  14. They’re simply beautiful. It’s interesting to see at least one similarity between these wild cats and my own ‘house kitty.’ Dixie Rose would drape herself over the top of a chair just as these lay upon their limbs, with paws hanging down. Squirrels do it, too. I’ve wondered if it serves some purpose, like cooling, or if it’s just a sign of relaxation. In any event, it’s charming.

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    • Thank you, Nirmala, I’m glad the kittens pulled your heartstrings, too.
      Thank you for mentioning the spotless giraffe. I hadn’t heard about it, but looked her up. She has already become a celebrity! 🦒

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  18. Hach…die kleinen Zwillinge Basha und Mango sind einfach zu niedlich! Es ist wunderbar zu sehen, wie sie mutig dabei sind, ihre kleine Welt zu erforschen und zu erobern. Ich bin sicher, dass jeder, der nicht ein Herz aus Stein hat, beim Anblick dieser Beiden lächeln wird.
    Liebe Tanja, Danke für die tollen Fotos.
    Liebe Grüße von Rosie

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