Rare Amur leopard cubs born at Colchester Zoo

Colchester Zoo is excited to announce that in the early hours of the morning on 24th November 2024, exactly one month before Christmas Eve, female Amur leopard, Esra, gave birth to two healthy cubs.

The birth marks a significant milestone in the Zoo’s ongoing mission to care for wildlife and wild places.

Leopard cub development is very similar to that of a domestic kitten. It takes around 7 – 10 days for their eyes to fully open and from 4 weeks old, they start to become more stable on their paws. It will still be a while before they start emerging from their den but once mum is comfortable and the pair are bigger, they will begin to venture outside.

This is the second time that Colchester Zoo has successfully bred Amur leopards and is also Esra and Crispin’s second litter as a pair after welcoming Lena and Luka back in September 2019. The Animal Care Team have been monitoring the cubs closely but being an experienced mum, Esra has already been very attentive and gentle with both.

These breeding programmes are incredibly important, especially for Critically Endangered species like Amur leopards, as their population numbers out in the wild are declining at an alarming rate.

Amur leopards live in temperate forests in the Russian Far East and north-east China. It is estimated that there are only around 70 Amur leopards left in the wild. They are threatened by a number of factors including being hunted for their fur and use in traditional Chinese medicines; their habitat being destroyed causing depletion of their prey; their small population also puts them at risk from catastrophes such as fire, disease and inbreeding. This is why conservation of this species is vital, if we don’t act now to help this Critically Endangered species, we risk losing this beautiful big cat we share our planet with.

The Amur leopard cubs’ Dad, Crispin, arrived at Colchester Zoo on 28th April 2018 from Czech Republic and Mum, Esra, joined him on 29th May 2018 from Belgium, as part of a breeding recommendation.

Amur leopards are solitary cats and only pair during the breeding season. Colchester Zoo’s Animal Care Team mixed the pair over the Summer, once Esra began showing signs that she was in season. Whilst the pair were mixed, the Animal Care Team monitored them closely to ensure that both leopards were happy in each other’s company, and they were on hand to separate them if either became unsettled. Crispin and Esra mated on numerous occasions and the team are delighted that this has resulted in the successful birth of not only one but two cubs, a great achievement for the conservation of this beautiful but rare species!

Emma Thompson, Colchester Zoo’s Carnivore Team Leader said, “Esra is a fantastic mum and has only been seen coming out of the cubbing den to get food as expected. Each time she leaves, she is straight back inside to both cubs. We can already see that one of the cubs is more boisterous than the other, but both are doing really well along with mum, Esra. It is great to see her on the CCTV carrying out an amazing job as mum! The team here at Colchester Zoo are so proud of Esra and Crispin!”

Colchester Zoo has always cared passionately about the world’s threatened species and the Zoo’s charity, Colchester Zoological Society, aims to raise awareness among local people in community programmes as well as supporting vital research. Since 2004, Colchester Zoological Society has donated over £4.7 million to a number of conservation projects worldwide.

Colchester Zoo knows that this is a very exciting time and visitors will be keen to see the cubs but it will be a while before they make an appearance. In the meantime, the Zoo kindly asks that all visitors remain quiet when visiting the Amur leopards this winter, to allow the cubs time to settle into their new environment. The Zoo will be providing updates on the cubs via their website and social media channels as they have them.

From 1st January 2025, the Charity will be taking over the running of the Zoo. This change will ensure that the Zoo continues to protect and preserve wildlife and wild places, whilst also maintaining a historic attraction that can be enjoyed by future generations. This birth is a great way for the Charity to begin their own journey as we reach the end of 2024.