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Meet Juniper: snow leopard cub makes debut at John Ball Zoo

Snow leopard cub, Juniper, explores
Courtesy: John Ball Zoo
Snow leopard cub, Juniper, explores her outdoor habitat

Visitors to Grand Rapids’ John Ball Zoo have a new animal to check out: a snow leopard cub is now on view for the first time

Juniper is a three-month old snow leopard cub born to parents Yuki and Mylo.

Zoo teams have been carefully monitoring her health out of view of visitors since her birth, July 28.

Mother, Yuki and snow leopard cub, Juniper
Courtesy: John Ball Zoo
Mother, Yuki and snow leopard cub, Juniper

Juniper began exploring the outdoor portion of her habitat Tuesday, getting used to it and to being seen by guests.

Officials say her debut is an important milestone for the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan.

The animals are listed as “vulnerable” with 600 snow leopards in zoos worldwide, 250 in the United States.

The biggest threats to the endangered felines are poaching, mining that destroys the ecosystem and domestic cattle encroaching on their mountain habitats.

As part of their conservation efforts, John Ball Zoo partners with the Snow Leopard Trust, an international research and conservation program that operates in five key snow leopard range countries.

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