COURT HOUSE – Just in time to meet the completion of the newly-built Spotted Leopard Habitat, an 8-year-old female Amur leopard arrived at the Cape May County Zoo.
The Amur Leopard, named Judah, is a very rare subspecies of the Spotted Leopard that originates from the Amur River Valley between the border of Northern China, the Korean Peninsula and Russia’s Far East. The Amur Leopard has been decimated, with only about 50 individual leopards in existence in the wild, and they are confined to the Amur River Valley on Russia’s Pacific Coast.
Freeholder E. Marie Hayes, who oversees the Cape May County Park and Zoo, announces the arrival of the Amur Leopard and the opening of the new spotted leopard habitat.
”It is with great pride I introduce the newest member of our Zoo family,” stated Hayes in a release. “We are honored to have Judah at the Cape May County Zoo and participate in the AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Amur Leopards.”
“The habitat was designed by Cape May County Facilities and Services Director, Ann Marie McMahon and constructed by Cape May County Park and Zoo staff,” Hayes added. “This structure is a great enhancement to our Zoo and a display of the skills and talents of the staff.””
Amur Leopards are a medium-bodied cat, with reddish yellow fur and black rosettes. They possess an extraordinary ability to jump and climb. They can easily jump 10 feet vertically and 20 feet horizontal. They are strict carnivores, and in the wild will hunt and eat Sitka and Roe Deer. They have a life span of 10-15 years in the wild and males will grow to 90-200 lbs; females will grow to 60-130 lbs. Leopards are considered the strongest of all big cat species.
“I encourage residents and visitors to come to the Cape May County Park and Zoo over the holiday season to see Judah and all the animals at the Zoo,” stated Hayes. The Park and Zoo is open Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. until 2:45 and closed on Christmas Day. Zoo winter hours are 10 a.m. until 3:35 p.m.; the hours for the Main Park is 7 a.m. until dusk. Visit the Cape May County Park and Zoo website at www.cmczoo.com.
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