Day 54: Captured Beauty

I decided to take a trip to the zoo after watching Big Cat Diary, a show focused on the lives of lions, leopards, and cheetahs in Kenya's Maasai Mara. It was great to watch the cats in Kenya freely moving from place to place. There were cheetahs who traveled for miles to escape the pride male lions who viciously protected their territory. And leopards who, within a few meters, could attack a wildebeest calf in a few seconds and carry it up a tree. From watching the show, I realized how the instincts of the cats very much resembled those of humans, from being protective of their family and territory to developing well-constructed strategies to survive in a dangerous environment.

It was here, as I was staring at the Amur Leopard, that I questioned an animals ability to 'regain' their instincts after being held in captivity. How would they adapt? Could they ever survive or hunt for themselves? From the looks of it, these cats seem depressed and helpless. In addition to this leopard, I came across a Siberian Tiger who brought me to tears. He, who appeared to be the most depressed of all the cats I saw, was incessantly walking in a figure-8 he created in the dirt over his span in captivity.

For an animal whose core needs very much resemble those of humans, it seems ludicrous to hold them in captivity. And I understand the need to protect these cats from extinction, but I'm not so sure that this is the right solution to the problem. As I am fairly uneducated on the topic, I'll be taking the time to learn more about zoos and their methods of protecting animals like the Amur Leopard.

Until next time,

Nadine

P.S. - The Amur Leopard is near extinction, with about 30-35 remaining in the wild. Currently there are 300 Amur Leopards in European and North American zoos going through breeding programs. If you'd like to find out more information, visit the ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation website.