For Immediate Release: July 17, 2008
Contact: Kelly Lessard 952.431.9217

Minnesota Zoo to Host First Amur Leopard Festival
Only 30 leopards left in the wild; Event July 19 & 20

Apple Valley, MN – July 17, 2008: Fewer than 30 Amur leopards remain in the wild, making them the world's rarest cats. Join the Minnesota Zoo for its first Amur Leopard Festival on July 19 & 20, 2008. Both days will be filled with activities that support and celebrate the conservation efforts to save this beautiful animal.

Found only in a small pocket at the southern tip of Russia's Pacific coast, Amur leopards live further north than any other leopard subspecies and need large amounts of prey and a substantial wild range to survive. They are on the brink of extinction, but recent public campaigns have saved their last refuge with hopes that leopards may be reintroduced into protected habitats.

The Minnesota Zoo is a member of the Amur Leopard Conservation Initiative, providing significant support toward the protection of this rare and beautiful animal. The Zoo currently has two Amur leopards on display in Russia’s Grizzly Coast. Sisters “Katya” and “Polina,” born in October 2006, are genetically valuable and came from the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans.

Amur Leopard Festival Activities:

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.	Minnesota Zoo Hours; Animal Art Display (Tropics Plaza)
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Leopard face painting (Central Plaza)
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.	Amur leopard keeper talks (Russia’s Grizzly Coast)
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Leopard Games/Crafts (Tropics Plaza)
12:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m.	Music (Lakeside Terrace)
1:30 p.m.	Kids’ Parade (Lakeside Terrace)

Amur Leopard Fun Facts

• The Amur leopard gets its name from the 2,700 mile-long Amur River in Asia.
• Leopards are generally solitary, except for breeding and rearing cubs.
• Amur leopards have longer legs and longer hair, allowing them to survive in cold, snowy climates.
• Amur leopards are excellent climbers, and spend most of their time sleeping and eating on rocky ledges far above the ground.
• Amur leopards, pound for pound, are considered the strongest of all cats.
• People who live among leopards refer to them as “ghosts that walk.”

The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).