MANHATTAN (KSNT) - A zoo in Manhattan is mourning the loss of one of its resident big cats Friday.
Melissa Kirkwood with the City of Manhattan announced in a press release on Friday, Dec. 13 that Vlad, or Vladimir, the Amur leopard passed away by natural causes on Nov. 25 after spending 11 years with the Sunset Zoo.
He was recognized, at the age of 20, as being one of the oldest living Amur leopards on record. Typically Amur Leopards live for 10-15 years or up to 18 in human care, according to the zoo.
“Vlad was one of the biggest personalities that I had the privilege of caring for," said Large Cat Animal Keeper II Denise LeRoux. "I am honored to have worked with Vlad for his entire 11 years here at Sunset Zoo. I had the chance to build an amazing relationship with him through that time and am so thankful he had time to be in the new Expedition Asia habitat, which he loved."
Vlad was born in 2004 at the Erie Zoo. He came to the Sunset Zoo in October 2013.
“Every animal makes a difference in the conservation of these critically endangered species," said Sunset Zoo Director Scott Shoemaker. "Every animal we care for is of utmost importance to us. The care he received here was top notch, and we have our amazing care staff to thank for his longevity. As we move forward in the journey of survival for the Amur leopard, we will continue to give care and aid in the future breeding of these amazing animals," said Sunset Zoo Director, Scott Shoemaker.
Amur leopards are critically endangered in their natural habitat in southeastern Russian and northern China, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are only around 100 Amur leopards alive in the wild today.
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