The Sofia Zoo has a new resident – ​​an 11-year-old male snow leopard, BNT has reported. He comes from Nordens Ark Zoo, located in Bohuslän, Sweden and is named Araatan. Some time ago, a female leopard arrived from the Helsinki Zoo, Finland, and Araatan will be her partner. The couple is in Bulgaria under the European Endangered Species Program, in which the capital's zoo participates. 

The goal is for the leopards to reproduce and to increase the captive population of these beautiful animals. Snow leopards are in the "Vulnerable" category in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. In their natural environment, they are threatened by poaching, illegal trade in skins and body parts (mainly used in traditional Chinese medicine), as well as habitat loss.

There are about 3,300 mature representatives of the species left in the wild.

Editor: Darina Grigorova

Publication in English: Al. Markov

Photo: Facebook / Sofia Zoo