Brookfield's Amur Leopard Cub Makes Public Debut

BROOKFIELD, IL — When Brookfield Zoo reopens to guests — Wednesday to members and July 8 to the public — they will be able to see some animals who made their debuts via social media while the zoo was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a zoo news release. This includes, Sasha, an Amur leopard, born on March 3. Since his birth, the nearly 4-month-old cub has been behind the scenes bonding with his mom, Lisa, the release said.

While getting acclimated to his outdoor habitat, beginning Friday, Sasha will have access for a few hours each day (weather permitting). As he gets more accustomed to his new environment, he will be able to stay outside for longer periods of time.

Those interested in helping care for Sasha at Brookfield Zoo can contribute to the Animal Adoption program. For $35, a recipient receives the Basic Package, which includes a 5-inch x 7-inch color photograph of Sasha, a personalized certificate of adoption, an Amur leopard fact sheet, and an Animal Adoption program decal. To purchase a package, visit CZS.org/FeaturedCreature.

Sasha is Lisa’s fourth cub. When the two aren’t outside, guests will be able to see Samson, one of her offspring born in 2018.

The Amur leopard is critically endangered with less than 65 animals left in the wild, according to the news release. Threats to the species include poaching; retribution hunting, loss of habitat due to logging and human settlement, and loss of prey. Their entire estimated range is about 965 square miles, the zoo said. Today, they are only found in one isolated population in the Russian Far East, although there may be a few in the Jilin Province of northeast China.