Artificially bred snow leopard expected to mate this year

China’s first living artificially bred snow leopard, which turns 3 years old on Monday, is becoming mature and expected to join the reproductive team this year, according to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Wild Zoo in Xining of Qinghai province.

The female snow leopard named Aoxue, or “proud in the snow”, was born on June 10, 2016. Currently, it is 80 centimeters long and weighs 35 kilograms, and became mature, according to China News Service.

Aoxue’s body indicators are stable and healthy, and she will be added to the breeding sequence this year, said Qi Xinzhang, deputy director of the zoo.

According to Qi, the life expectancy of wild snow leopards is about 10 years. At present, researchers at the zoo are studying the immunization of cubs and the prevention of epidemics in the artificial breeding stage, and are also doing physical examinations of snow leopards.

It is of great importance for the population construction of the species, he said.

Located at an altitude of 2,300 meters, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Wild Zoo is the only one with an artificial breeding base of snow leopards in China.

Since 1984, when the first snow leopard was born through artificial insemination at the zoo, other cubs were born. However, due to the limitations of the feeding environment, medical conditions and lack of experience in the raising of snow leopard cubs, all the other artificially bred snow leopards died one after another.