A snow leopard at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent has given birth to a baby, named Little Lady, after a lot of careful effort by the sanctuary staff.
The main trainer, Simon Jackaman, spent months gaining the mother snow leopard Laila's trust so she would allow special ultrasound checks.
These checks helped monitor her pregnancy, leading to a successful birth, as per BBC.
The snow leopard cub, was healthy and weighed 630 grams which is about 1.4 pounds when she was five years old.
She is the second female snow leopard born at the sanctuary after her sister Zaya who was born in 2023.
As per the outlet, their mother, Laila has had three litters with her partner Yarko as part of the sanctuary's efforts to breed and protect snow leopards.
Celebrity chef and charity ambassador Paul Hollywood said in a statement, noting, "Laila has had a special place in my heart for many years and to see her become a mum for the fourth time is truly heartwarming."
Snow leopard face extinction threat amid climate change and illegal trade:
Snow leopards are considered vulnerable to extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.
Experts estimate that only around 2,700 to 3,300 adult snow leopards are still alive in their natural habitats.
Over the next 50 to 100 years, climate change is expected to destroy about 30% of the areas where snow leopards live.
Besides this, they are also at risk because of poaching and being sold unlawfully in wildlife market.
