Mammals

Snow leopard lives exclusively in mountain ranges, at an altitude of 5000 meters. For many years snow leopards were an attractive prey for hunters because of their fur. Snow leopard is very timid toward human, even in extreme cases rarely defends and attacks humans. In Novosibirsk Zoo snow leopards are living since 1964. Long-term observations allowed the Zoo staff to learn a lot about these animals and make conditions for them. Novosibirsk Zoo is considered one of the few zoos where snow leopards breed successfully. Despite such successes, one needs to say, that breeding of irbis in captivity is unstable. For the past 18 years, 10 cubs were born in the Zoo. Female snow leopards are very good mothers. There was only one case in 1980, when the mother was unable to feed the baby because of health problems and a foster was found. Snow leopard kitten was called “Bil”, and Siberian lynx fed him. Snow leopards, born in Novosibirsk, enriched collections of zoos in Moscow, Perm, Kazan, US cities. Snow leopard is the symbol of the Novosibirsk Zoo.

Lynx is the largest and the northernmost representative of small felines. In Novosibirsk Zoo, lynxes are kept for a very long time, both in groups and single animals. Since 1968, 207 cubs were born. The family life of these animals deserves special attention. In zoological parks the lynx breed well. But they have one peculiarity, to which nothing can affect: no man, no climate, no diet. Lynx is the only cat that breeds at a certain period. To change this period is almost impossible. Breeding happens on February - March. The absolute majority of lynxes are born in April-May. In the litter from 1 to 4 cubs. Lynxes are wonderful parents. The male participates in rearing of the offspring. The maternal qualities of females are also worth a story. In our Zoo lynxes are often kept in large families: male, two females and their offspring. Females perfectly get along together, the male gets along with everyone – with the cubs, and their mothers. But the cubs sometimes play with a real fight, when wool flies and wounds appear. And it is interesting how the females act. When they think the situation requires intervention, they come and lie on their cubs. Under the warm belly, the playful cubs quickly calm down, and there is again peace and harmony in the enclosure. The Zoo staff made sure that these animals are extremely intelligent. They are distinguished by an impressive memory. The character of the lynxes is rarely similar to each other. For example, a female named “Bryska” lived in the Zoo for many years. She was almost tame and could allow a man much action. But her partner – the male “Fedya”, could just tolerate people and did not go to the contact. Lynxes born in the Novosibirsk Zoo, at different times, were sent to almost all the Zoos of the USSR, and later Russia. In addition, the offspring of lynxes from our Zoo became the pride of collections of Zoos in France and Germany.

The Novosibirsk Zoo keeps this species since 1980. Breeds regularly since 1984. For more than 20 years, 130 kittens were born. Servals breed well in captivity, but no other Zoo can boast such a large number of cubs. One of the serval females deserves a special mention. This female was called “Aza” and she gave birth to 45 cubs. When the process of feeding cubs is violated for some reason, the Zoo always tries to find an foster. 14 serval kittens were fed by a domestic cat. In 1987 and 1988, three serval kittens were fed by a bobcat.серв

Sand cats are kept in the Novosibirsk Zoo since 2000. Since 2002, 47 kittens were born in our Zoo. Most of the zoos, keeping sand cats (these are mainly zoos in the US, Europe, and the Middle East), as a rule, keep them in indoor enclosures throughout a year. In summer the Novosibirsk Zoo get sand cats into the open-air enclosures. Making such decision, our biologists have taken into account that temperatures at night in a desert are low, so the species is adapted to temperature changes. Of course, frosts will be fatal for them, but Novosibirsk’s cool summer nights are quite acceptable for this species.

Pumas are kept in the Novosibirsk Zoo since 1967. All year around our pumas live in outdoor enclosures, feel well and regularly breed. This species today is one of the safest among the felines, its natural population is stable. Therefore, zoos do not seek to increase the captive population. Now in our Zoo there is an adult couple - a male “Hudson”, born 2004 and a female “Milana”, born 2008.

The Persian leopard is one of the rarest and largest leopards. This leopard has remarkable coat pattern. The main color, as a rule, is paler than in other subspecies, it can be light sandy, even slightly grayish. The Persian leopard is keeping in the Novosibirsk Zoo since 1978. From 1978, 78 cubs were born. It is worth to mention our two females “Suleika” and “Makhatma”. They gave birth to 23 cubs. Their children, now grandchildren and greatgrandchildren live in zoos in Karaganda, Tallinn, Shanghai, Riga, Sapporo, Alma-Ata, Dushanbe, and in the cities of the Czech Republic. In 2016, the Novosibirsk Zoo received a young male named “Kavkaz” from the Center for Breeding and Reintroduction of Persian leopard (Sochi). He is a participant of a great program, the result of which should be the recruitment of the wild population of this species. The collection of the Novosibirsk Zoo represents one more leopard subspecies. In 2001, two cubs of the North Caucasian leopard arrived in our Zoo, whose mother was poached on the border of Kabardino-Balkaria and Georgia. The males were only about two months old.

Pallas’s cat is called the most secret representative of the family Felidae. Until 1994, the Novosibirsk Zoo kept single specimens of the Manul. This year at once several Pallas’s cats were transferred to the Zoo, caught on the border of the Tuva Republic and Mongolia. Already in 1995, the first offspring was received and laborious work began with observing, studying the Pallas’s cat behavior and matching special conditions for these animals. It is known that Pallas’s cats are extremely susceptible to toxoplasmosis. All zoos lose Pallas’s cat’s kittens due to toxoplasmosis, and sometimes adult animals. Unfortunately, the Novosibirsk Zoo was not an exception. But for more than twenty years of work, the specialists managed to change the situation. Vaccination, special drugs for females and cubs, strict veterinary control – so few species require such treatment in zoos. Usually manuls bear 2-6 cubs. In 1999, there was a rare case in the Novosibirsk Zoo: a female named “Solda” gave birth to 9 kittens. 8 of them grew successfully. The weight of newborn cubs is only 80-100 grams. In two months after their weight increases tenfold. The very interesting fact is the change of eye color in kittens. At birth, their eyes are bright blue. Over time, they become green, and the adults have yellow eyes. For more than twenty years in the Novosibirsk Zoo 78 cubs were born. Now the offspring of our manuls live in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Great Britain.

Ocelots are kept in the Novosibirsk Zoo since 1973. The first kittens in our Zoo were born in 1977. Until then, ocelots did not breed in any Zoo of the USSR. The male “Rams” is worth special mention, he lived a long life and became the father of 25 cubs. Ocelots are still very rare species for Zoos in the country, and cubs are born only in our Zoo. In total, 47 cubs were born. Unfortunately, sometimes females refuse to feed newborns. In the Novosibirsk Zoo, domestic cats cope admirably with this mission and along with their own kittens they nurse also wild cubs of ocelot.

The first margay was brought to Novosibirsk Zoo in 2015 from the Le Parc des Felins (Nesles, France). A year later, according the conservation program, the Zoo received a male. This is the only pair of margay in Russian zoos. This is rare species. In world zoological parks the margay are also few, in total not more than 60 individuals. In captivity, these felines breed badly.