Triplet snow leopards born at the Woodland Park Zoo

amrook — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:45:04 +0000

amrook Mon, 05/21/2012 - 10:45pm

Triplet snow leopards were born at Woodland Park Zoo on May 2. The cubs, two females and a male, will make their public debut in mid-July.

Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

A display of beautiful spots appeared earlier at Woodland Park Zoo when triplet snow leopards were born to 7-year-old mother Helen earlier this month. The cubs represent the second litter for Helen and 6-year-old father Tom.

A neonatal examination on the cubs last week confirmed the cups as two females and one male.

The mom and cubs are off public exhibit in a maternal den to allow bonding and proper nursing. The zoo anticipates putting the cubs on public exhibit in mid-July.

“Helen was an excellent mother to the pair of cubs she gave birth to in 2009 and successfully raised. We’re very pleased to see that she’s nurturing the three cubs very well and that they appear to be progressing normally. They appear to be healthy, their eyes are just now opening and their bellies were full of milk, indicating that they are nursing,” said the zoo's Director of Animal Health, Dr. Darin Collins.

The cubs currently weigh between 2.1 and 2.4 pounds.

Snow leopards are an endangered species, and cubs are born helpless, with their eyes closed, and rely for several weeks on their mothers for nutrition. To minimize disturbance, staff have minimal physical contact with the new family and are monitoring mother and cubs via a web cam.

Since snow leopards are solitary animals in the wild, the father has been separated and is on public exhibit in the snow leopard exhibit adjacent to Australasia.

The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the high mountain ranges of Central Asia and Russia, including in Afghanistan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal and Pakistan. Snow leopard scientists estimate as few as 3,500 remain in the wild.

Woodland Park Zoo has a long history of caring for snow leopards and conserving them in the wild, since the zoo’s first snow leopards arrived in 1972 from the USSR.

Under the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP), 34 cubs have born at the zoo and have helped diversify the genetic pool of the managed population.

“This is a significant birth for snow leopards in zoos in North America and around the world, and marks the first recorded birth this year for the SSP. By virtue of their majestic beauty, they are conservation ambassadors for their species in the wild," said Dr. Jennifer Pramuk, a curator at Woodland Park Zoo. "These cubs in the future will become valuable in inspiring people to learn more about how to save this endangered cat that is struggling to survive in its range countries."

Photos of the neonatal exam can be found on the zoo’s blog at: http://woodlandparkzblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/baby-baby-baby.html. As more footage and images are made available, snow leopard fans can keep tabs on the cubs by checking out the zoo’s blog and YouTube.

Woodland Park Zoo

Ballard/Fremont/Phinney/Greenwood

Ballard News Tribune

Police Blotter: Burglars caught on tape; landlord caught stealing renter’s belongings

amrook — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:56:19 +0000

amrook Fri, 05/06/2011 - 6:56am

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

5:23 a.m. on May 3rd. 92nd block of Greenwood Ave. N.

A liquor store on Greenwood Ave. was burglarized early on the morning of May 3rd. Police responding to the alarm call found that the glass on the front door was broken, but the suspects was gone. Several display cases containing scratch tickets had been stolen, but the offices, tills, and safes appeared undisturbed. A witness who lives nearby said that she heard loud noises at 5:00 a.m. and looked out the window to see two men running from the store with large boxes. She heard a car engine start soon after the men disappeared around a corner. The responding officer and the store manager watched store’s security video, which clearly showed the suspects with gloves on and bandanas over their faces. Police believe the burglary may be related to another that occurred at a liquor store several hours earlier.

5:14 p.m. on May 2nd. 83rd block of 26th Ave. N.W.

A man returned home on the evening of May 2nd to find his front door open and his television missing from the living room. He checked his bedroom and discovered that his jewelry box, which contained about 22 sterling silver men’s rings, had also been stolen. The other bedrooms appeared to be untouched and nothing was missing from the basement, but a window had been forced open. The window was determined to be the burglar’s point of entry. No fingerprints were found in the residence.

4:45 p.m. on May 2nd. 7th block of N. 73rd St.

A man returned home on the afternoon of May 2nd to find his home ransacked. He believed that he had left his bedroom window unlocked and that the suspect had entered through this window. Several items were stolen, including a firearm. The combined value of the items is estimated at almost $1000. The burglar had disconnected a large television, apparently intending to steal it. The responding officer located a possible fingerprint on the television and submitted it for analysis.

7:46 p.m. on May 1st. N.W. 56th St. and 24th Ave. N.W.

A man was assaulted after attempting to defend his female friend from harassment. The victim said that the suspect was persistently flirting with his friend, and when he told the suspect to stop, the suspect punched him in the face. The victim’s hat and glasses fell off, and when he bent to pick them up, the suspect hit him again and he fell to the ground. The victim said that he hit his head on the pavement and passed out. He sustained a major cut on his head and was taken to Swedish Hospital in Ballard. The victim described the suspect as a 5’10” black male wearing a green T-shirt, jeans, and a knit cap. The suspect was not found in the area where the incident occurred.

5:40 p.m. on April 29th. 85th block of 11th Ave. N.W.

A landlord was witnessed stealing belongings from his renter. A witness said that he saw the suspect going in and out of the garage of the residence and putting items in a vehicle parked in front. The witness called 911 and noted the car’s license plate. The suspect drove away, but police apprehended him along with his wife, who was also in the car, at N 104th St. and Evanston. The witness was taken to the scene, where he identified the suspect as the renter’s landlord. The suspect and his wife were taken into custody to make written statements and later released. Their vehicle was taken for evidence.

Crime. Police Blotter

Ballard/Fremont/Phinney/Greenwood

Robinson Papers