CAPE MAY COUNTY, N.J. (AP) — A snow leopard that gained national attention for giving birth to seven cubs has died at 17 years old, a New Jersey zoo said Sunday.
A county press release says Himani was "peacefully euthanized following a battle with cancer" on Friday.
The Press of Atlantic City reports that the leopard reared four litters of cubs at a time when snow leopard breeding success was at a low point. Himani was born in June 2003 and came to the Cape May County Zoo in 2009 from the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee.
Dr. Alex Ernst, associate veterinarian at the zoo, said her contributions to the conservation of her species are "immeasurable."
Himani's cubs were moved to zoos across the country, carrying "her legacy and genetics to raise cubs of their own," according to the zoo.
