Delight as rare snow leopard is born at North Wales zoo

David Powell
·2-min read
This rare snow leopard cub was born at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Upper Colwyn Bay
-Credit: (Image: Welsh Mountain Zoo)


Spot the new arrival at the Welsh Mountain Zoo - an adorable and incredibly rare snow leopard. The young cub, as yet unsexed and unnamed, was born on June 12 to mum Padme and dad Sumbe.

The new arrival marks the first cub to be born at the Colwyn Bay attraction for a decade, and the first also to be born to the newest snow leopard pairing within its Silk Road habitat completed in 2021. Experts are keeping a watchful eye on mum and cub who are remaining within their den during these early days. But there are plans to open up the visible indoor habitat soon.

As mum and cub explore this new space over the coming weeks and months the zoo is hopes to share glimpses of the cub's first foray into their wider habitat as they begin to explore. Chris Mitchell, CEO at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “The Welsh Mountain Zoo has a rich history with snow leopards and it’s wonderful to welcome the arrival of this beautiful and special cub.

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"The snow leopard is classed as vulnerable in the wild and so breeding in managed zoo settings in conjunction with the zoo’s annual commitment to support the Snow Leopard Trust is essential if we are to safeguard the future conservation of this amazing animal.”

This rare snow leopard cub was born at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Upper Colwyn Bay
This rare snow leopard cub was born at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Upper Colwyn Bay -Credit:Welsh Mountain Zoo

Since 2017 over £10,000 had been donated to the Snow Leopard Trust from the Welsh Mountain Zoo through a combination of guest donations and direct contributions, with over £3,400 donated in 2023 alone. The Snow Leopard Trust operates in China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Pakistan which are home to 75% of the world’s population of wild snow leopards.

Mr Mitchell added: “Our unique Silk Road habitat was built with meticulous attention to detail in terms of the environment we aimed to recreate - replicating the landscapes of mountain ranges where snow leopards naturally roam. Sumbe and Padme are the most recent Ex Situ Programme pairing that we have at the Zoo, with programmes such as these important to ensuring healthy populations of vulnerable and endangered species are maintained.

"We had hoped that our breeding pair would find comfort and familiarity in their new home with potential to breed - and they did just that! The viewing window to the visible indoor habitat is open and visitors may enjoy a glimpse of Padme and her cub if they are ready to begin to move around."

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