Banham Zoo mourns death of 10-week old leopard cub

Keepers at Banham Zoo are said to be devastated following the death of a 10-week old Sri Lankan leopard cub last week.

After being taken ill, the male cub was thought to have fully recovered, but died on Thursday following a relapse.

The cause of death is currently unknown, with a post-mortem examination set to be carried out in due course.

The cub – which did not yet have a name – was one of two brothers born to mum Sariska and breeding partner Mias on June 4.

Gary Batters, joint managing director of the Zoological Society of East Anglia, spoke of the upset caused by the premature death.

He said: “This is devastating news for the keepers and staff who have cared for the leopard cub since his birth in early June. He will be greatly missed by the team here at Banham Zoo.”

The Zoological Society of East Anglia, the charity which runs Banham Zoo in Norfolk and Africa Alive in Suffolk, is a partner in the European breeding programme for the Sri Lankan leopard, which is one of nine sub-species of leopard.

The death of the cub will also come as disappointing news to conservationists, with its species under serious threat of extinction.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the Sri Lankan leopard as vulnerable, following its last assessment in October 2019, with under 800 mature individuals thought to be left in the wild.

The cubs are native to the South Asian nation, and are found in a range of habitats from the open savannah to rainforests.