Wellington Zoo a step closer to finally getting snow leopards

Thursday, 9 January 2020

A $3.7 million project to bring snow leopards to Wellington is one step closer.

The capital's zoo is looking to find someone to design and project manage the building of a new enclosure for the animals.

The zoo could not comment directly but said in an emailed statement that patrons would likely view the carnivorous Central Asian cats by late 2021, or early 2022.

Wellington Zoo's animal welfare experts would work alongside the successful designer to 'ensure the habitat provides the best possible animal welfare for snow leopards', the statement said.

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The Wellington City Council will take on 75 per cent of the project to bring snow leopards to the capital with the zoo's trust making up the rest through fundraising.

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'We also need to ensure the project is delivered on time and on budget,' it added.

Wellington Zoo chief executive Karen Fifield believed the New Zealand climate would not be an issue for the cats, which she expected would come from a US zoo.

The Wellington City Council will take on 75 per cent of the project, which has been budgeted through its Long-Term Plan.

The zoo's trust will make up the rest through fundraising.

Wellington Zoo-goers will likely view snow leopards by late 2021, or early 2022.

Once the enclosure is complete, it will apply for two critically endangered snow leopards to come to Wellington from another zoo, through the global species management programme.

'We will not know the age or gender of the snow leopards we will care for until we have had further discussions with the global species coordinator.'

Wellington Zoo CEO Karen Fifield told Stuff in 2018 the zoo did not plan to breed the cats and that she believed the New Zealand climate would not be an issue for the cats, which she expected to come from a United States zoo.

The campaign to bring snow leopards to the capital began in May 2011, after plans to bring two giant pandas to Wellington Zoo were shelved.

It was delayed due to money issues but revived in April 2018 when Wellington City Council set aside about $3.5m in its draft 2018-28 LTP to rehome a pair from a zoo in the United States within roughly two years.

While the initial timeframe and budget has been expanded, the tender process marks the beginnings of the project getting off the ground.

In its tender pitch Wellington Zoo said 252,973 people visited the park over the 2018-19 period.

'To maintain community expectations, animal welfare standards and sustainability and conservation outcomes it is important that we keep our zoo interesting and exciting to visitors, providing a new adventure every time.

'To continue our success we plan to complete our Asia experience by redeveloping an existing empty animal space to house snow leopards.'

The new pen for the large cats will be the former sun bear habitat.