By Neil Doyle
BLOOMINGTON – The Miller Park Zoo on Tuesday announced the death of its oldest female snow leopard “Hima.”
In a Facebook post, the zoo said animal care and veterinary staff had been monitoring and treating Hima for advanced renal decline. It is not unexpected for a senior feline to experience renal issues, and Hima was under professional treatment to manage her symptoms. There is no cure for renal disease (Chronic Kidney Disease), though the team did everything possible to ensure Hima was comfortable and able to enjoy her quality of life.
Hima was born at the Granby Zoo in Quebec in 2010. She went to the Bronx Zoo in 2011 with her sister for one year before she came to the Miller Park Zoo, where she was introduced to Rilu. The pair produced three successful litters since 2015.
“Hima was known for being incredibly vocal and “chatty” with her caregivers, and she could often be observed with her tongue sticking out a little bit, a personal quirk that always made staff and visitors smile,” the zoo said in the post.
Snow leopards are a professionally and carefully managed species within AZA; currently there are only 118 animals in 53 zoos in the United States. Snow leopards are list as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The median life expectancy for an adult snow leopard is 12-13 years; the oldest snow leopard on record lived to be 21.
Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]
