Member Blog: Snow leopard cubs stop and smell the rose(mary)
Melbourne Zoo's snow leopard cubs are growing – and it turns out they're fine dining connoisseurs.
The four five-month-olds were presented with palm fronds that were rubbed with a mix of dried herbs and fresh rosemary, a combination of seasoning that literally made the siblings flip out.
"They love to rub their faces and their bodies on the smells," says Keeper Jose.
"At the moment their brains are like sponges and they're super keen on investigating new smells. They went straight up to the palm fronds and had a fun time."
Scent enrichment replicates the changing environment snow leopards encounter in the wild, engaging the cubs and helping them to discover more about the world. The cubs are a lot more rambunctious now – acrobatically tackling each other, leaping off rocks like parkour experts, snuggling mum Miska and tearing the palm fronds with their sharp little teeth.
"They are growing way too fast in my opinion!" says Keeper Jose.
"They're reaching milestones all the time and they're super healthy. At the moment everything is still new for them and they're becoming braver and just exploring all the time. They're putting their mouths on everything."
Miska continues to take to motherhood beautifully, even though she's outnumbered by the fuzzy quartet. "Miska has been a super mum. She's very tolerant, most of the time. Now and then she might tell them off a little bit, but often they'll jump on her and grab her tail – she's very patient!"
Snow leopards are one of the world's most elusive animals. They live in harsh mountain environments in India, China and Nepal, their thick, patterned fur coat helping them to blend into their rocky habitat. The cubs mark a continued effort by Zoos Victoria to help conserve the vulnerable species.
Come see Miska and the cubs at Melbourne Zoo.
