BRONX, N.Y. — September 30, 2026 — The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is debuting a new female snow leopard cub, born May 31, 2026 to parents Dari and Moutig.  

The cub is doing well after passing her physical exams and routine vaccinations, and can now be seen exploring the zoo’s Himalayan Highlands habitat. Her birth brings the total number of snow leopards currently at the Bronx Zoo to eight. 

Snow leopards are one of the world’s most elusive big cats. Rarely seen in the wild, they have a spotted white-gray coat that provides camouflage in their rocky mountainous habitat; large, padded feet that act as natural snowshoes; and long, woolly tails that provide warmth and balance as they navigate steep terrain. Their natural range spans the high-altitude mountains of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau in Asia, where they are well-adapted to survive in cold, arid climates.  

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the snow leopard’s conservation status as “Vulnerable”. An estimated 5,000–7,000 snow leopards remain in the wild across Asia. Primary threats to their survival in the wild include retaliatory killing by livestock herders, habitat degradation, decline in prey species, and poaching and illegal trade. As predators, these big cats rely mostly on wild blue sheep, argali, and Siberian ibex as their natural prey.   

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a world leader in snow leopard conservation through animal care and breeding at its zoos and through fieldwork in its range. As the flagship park of WCS, the Bronx Zoo was the first zoo in the United States to exhibit snow leopards in 1903. The zoo has had more than 80 snow leopard births to date and participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program designed to enhance the genetic viability of the species. 

WCS’s dedication to snow leopards in Asia dates to pioneering surveys led by field biologist George Schaller in the 1970s and 1980s, which established the scientific foundation for snow leopard conservation. Building on 55 years of work protecting the species across Asia, WCS today supports these big cats and their mountain ecosystems in Mongolia, home to the world’s second-largest snow leopard population, and in Afghanistan, where WCS is the only international NGO working to conserve the species. These efforts include community outreach and governance building, protected area development and management, ongoing monitoring using camera traps and satellite collars, and anti-poaching and anti-trafficking initiatives. In 2025, WCS convened experts from across Asia to assess the global status of snow leopards and help inform future conservation priorities. The results from those efforts will be published later this year.  

Bronx Zoo guests have the unique opportunity to see the new cub at the zoo’s Himalayan Highlands habitats, which showcase wildlife native to the mountains and grasslands of Central Asia, including the beautiful snow leopard, iconic red panda, and the graceful white-naped crane.  

Plan your visit and purchase tickets at BronxZoo.com/plan-your-visit. Follow the Bronx Zoo on social media channels for updates and more: Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube. 

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