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Photos: Awesome Amur Leopard Exhibit Opens At Staten Island Zoo
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 23, 2013
Modified Nov 23, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 23, 2013
Modified Nov 23, 2013
Share
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The Staten Island Zoo unveiled its new $3.5 million Amur Leopard Exhibit yesterday, showing off adorable baby brother leopards Valeri and Kolya. However, Mayor Bloomberg remarked, "Why doesn't the zoo find a pair of leopard sisters to introduce to these leopard brothers?"
The Amur Leopard is the world's rarest cat and is also known as the Far Eastern Cat (they are in the Amur River Valley, between Siberia and China). It's believed there are only 25-40 in the wild. These leopards can run up to 37 mph and may be able to jump as high at 19 feet.
The exhibit is 4,500-square feet and three-stories tall, emulating the leopards' natural habitat. According to the Staten Island Advance, Bloomberg, who emerged from the opening unscathed (Staten Island Chuck wasn't present), "If you were a leopard, would you like to live here? I would. Staten Island is a nice place. We like it, so a leopard ought to like it."
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amur leopard
big cats
leopards
staten island zoo
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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