The Santa Barbara Zoo announced Tuesday that Ajax, its critically endangered female Amur leopard, is pregnant. Amur leopards are the world’s rarest big cats, with fewer than 100 remaining in the wild, and the Zoo has been attempting to breed the species for several years now.
“This is tremendously exciting news,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, vice president of animal care and health. “Breeding Amur leopards is complicated and challenging, and our team has worked really hard to help Ajax get pregnant.”
This is the first pregnancy for Ajax and will be the fourth litter for her partner, Kasha, who arrived at the Santa Barbara Zoo in March 2020, just prior to the first round of coronavirus closures. Amur leopards have a short gestation period of approximately three to three and a half months, so there is a limited window of time to prepare for the arrivals.