CALGARY — The Asian Highlands can be experienced right here in Calgary — at the Calgary Zoo's latest exhibit, which features a few new (and some familiar) exotic characters.If one ventures to the city's zoo as of Wednesday and explores its Asian Highlands exhibit, one will encounter snow leopards, red pandas and Sichuan takin, all originating in Asia but now calling Calgary home.The snow leopards and red pandas in particular have actually lived at the zoo before — and were relocated for the construction of the new exhibit, but are now making their comeback.The exhibit itself is inspired by the Eastern Himalayas, with newly finished large displays featuring elevated habitats that mimic mountainous regions, and immersive visitor experiences. .Now, more in-depth about the arguable star of the show — the snow leopard, for which the zoo has placed two in the enclosure: a male Pemba, and a female Leika, both around 12 years old. The Western Standard asked the head veterinarian at the Wilder Institute's Calgary Zoo, Douglas Whiteside, how much it costs to feed these two magnificent beasts in a year. Whiteside estimated it costs an average of $14 a day — adding up to about $5,000 a year.The species also tends to be a very solitary animal. "They only come together for breeding, and then they will go off on their own," stated Whiteside. .Their "median life expectancy is about 15 to 16 years," with the animals tending to live longer in captivity with all the proper amenities.The leopards are actually an endangered species, and species with similar endangered populations are often preserved with the zoo's help."A number of endangered species serve as what we call assurance populations, and so the genetics are very important," stated Whiteside. "If we have a decrease in wild populations, those genetics can potentially be introduced back to the wild, and we have seen it with other species.".Along with donors, funding to build the exhibit was given by both the Alberta government and the city of Calgary.Through Alberta's Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF), the government gave $4 million to the project."Spaces like the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo are where families come together, where children discover a love of wildlife, and where communities connect,” said Dan Williams, Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs.“Through Municipal Affairs’ $4 million investment, our government is proud to help create vibrant, family-friendly destinations like Asian Highlands that will inspire Albertans and visitors alike for generations to come — who doesn’t love the zoo!”
