NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Beloved snow leopards Maliha and Bataar, who had been a couple at the Cape May County Zoo since 2021, have died.
Maliha, who was 13, was euthanized in April after an unexpected medical event. And Bataar, the second-oldest snow leopard in the country at age 18, died in June after a year of receiving treatment for age-related health issues.
Although they were matched as a breeding pair, the two never had any cubs together, but were often seen sunbathing together in their enclosure.
“Maliha joined Bataar in 2021, and the two remained together for the rest of their lives,” the zoo wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
Bataar arrived at the Cape May County Zoo in 2015 and was the zoo's first snow leopard. He had cubs with his first mate, Tysa, who was later transferred to another facility.
The zoo said it is coordinating with the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan program leader at Blank Park Zoo to have a male and female snow leopard brought to the zoo in the future.
