Inside the snow leopard enclosure at Chester Zoo
manchestereveningnews.co.ukChester Zoo will tomorrow unveil its new snow leopard habitat in an historic first for the tourist attraction. Never before has the zoo cared for the highly-threatened species in its 93-year history.
It's just over a year since plans for the new 'state-of-the-art' Himalayan habitat were rubber-stamped. The immersive habitat which is now home to male leopard Yashin and female Nubra - has been designed to authentically recreate the rocky terrain of the Himalayan mountains using more than 600 tonnes of scree and rocks.
It has two large outdoor areas featuring rocky outcrops, shallow cave retreats, ledges and steep rugged cliffs. READ MORE: New opening times, big ride updates and Easter lights at Blackpool's Pleasure Beach Resort 2024 Having overhangs under which the snow leopards can mark their scent is key to recreating the wild experience.
In their native home, upper surfaces are often covered with snow and using the underside of a ledge helps to preserve the scent message for much longer.
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