Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

I am a proud member of the Los Angeles Zoo, which is home to more than 1,100 animals from around the world, representing more than 250 different species, many of which are endangered in the wild. The zoo is also a Botanical Garden, featuring more than 800 different species of plants, which provide food and shelter for many native and migratory birds, and also provides browse for many residents of the zoo.

Snow Leopard on "Snow Day"<br />
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The folklore of many local peoples across the snow leopards’ range portrays the cats as shape-changing mountain spirits due to their solitary nature, elusive behavior, and almost supernatural ability to blend in among the rocks. With such efficient camouflage, snow leopards are nearly impossible to locate in the wild, which makes them very difficult to research and study.<br />
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Status: Snow leopards are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to poaching, habitat loss, prey base loss, and retributive killings. There are an estimated 4,000 to 7,000 individuals that survive globally, roughly 600 of which live in zoos worldwide. These big cats are hunted for their fur, which is especially valuable in Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe as material for coats and other clothing, and for their bones and organs, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Loss of habitat is primarily due to the expansion of domestic farming and livestock herding. As high altitude grasslands are taken over by human development, the leopards’ natural prey is crowded out, which forces the cats into preying upon livestock instead of other large mammals. This causes conflict with local people, who often retaliate by trapping, poisoning, or shooting snow leopards.

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Snow Leopard on "Snow Day"

The folklore of many local peoples across the snow leopards’ range portrays the cats as shape-changing mountain spirits due to their solitary nature, elusive behavior, and almost supernatural ability to blend in among the rocks. With such efficient camouflage, snow leopards are nearly impossible to locate in the wild, which makes them very difficult to research and study.

Status: Snow leopards are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to poaching, habitat loss, prey base loss, and retributive killings. There are an estimated 4,000 to 7,000 individuals that survive globally, roughly 600 of which live in zoos worldwide. These big cats are hunted for their fur, which is especially valuable in Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe as material for coats and other clothing, and for their bones and organs, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Loss of habitat is primarily due to the expansion of domestic farming and livestock herding. As high altitude grasslands are taken over by human development, the leopards’ natural prey is crowded out, which forces the cats into preying upon livestock instead of other large mammals. This causes conflict with local people, who often retaliate by trapping, poisoning, or shooting snow leopards.

LA Zoo

Terri Chapman Photography

Capturing the Splendor of Nature and Divine Light

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens