Brookfield Zoo announces birth of Amur leopard cubs, among the world's rarest big cats
Zoo officials say both cubs and Mina, the 8-year-old first-time mother, appear to be healthy and are being kept in a private habitat in the zoo.The cubs' father, Sasha, was born at Brookfield Zoo in 2020. Mina arrived at the zoo in October 2021.
There are believed to be less than 100 Amur leopards in the world, making them among the world's rarest big cats, the zoo said in a news release.
'While the exact number of Amur leopards remaining in the wild is unknown, we do know the species has been in steady decline,' said Mark Wanner, associate vice president of animal care and conservation. 'Each birth represents a critical opportunity to help ensure this extraordinary animal doesn't disappear forever.'
Amur leopards, native to the forests of eastern Russia, flourish in cold weather, the zoo said, and Chicago will mimic their natural habitat come winter.
Public viewing will be allowed once the animals are strong and ready to explore, the zoo said.
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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Brookfield Zoo announces birth of Amur leopard cubs, among the world's rarest big cats
Two Amur leopards, members of an endangered species, were born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago on July 14, the zoo announced Tuesday. Zoo officials say both cubs and Mina, the 8-year-old first-time mother, appear to be healthy and are being kept in a private habitat in the cubs' father, Sasha, was born at Brookfield Zoo in 2020. Mina arrived at the zoo in October 2021. There are believed to be less than 100 Amur leopards in the world, making them among the world's rarest big cats, the zoo said in a news release. 'While the exact number of Amur leopards remaining in the wild is unknown, we do know the species has been in steady decline,' said Mark Wanner, associate vice president of animal care and conservation. 'Each birth represents a critical opportunity to help ensure this extraordinary animal doesn't disappear forever.' Amur leopards, native to the forests of eastern Russia, flourish in cold weather, the zoo said, and Chicago will mimic their natural habitat come winter. Public viewing will be allowed once the animals are strong and ready to explore, the zoo said.
CBS News
24-07-2025
- CBS News
Plane crash in Russia's Far East kills all 48 on board, including 5 children, officials say
Moscow — Forty-eight people died in a plane crash in Russia's Far East, the head of the country's Amur region said in a statement Thursday. The An-24 passenger plane disappeared from radar as it travelled from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border to the town of Tynda. Rescuers later found the aircraft's burning wreckage amid dense forests on a hillside south of its planned destination. Regional Gov. Vasily Orlov said that all passengers and crew on board the Siberia-based Angara Airlines aircraft were killed in the crash. He also announced three days of mourning. Local emergency services said earlier that there were five children among the 49 people on the plane, which crashed about 4,350 miles east of Moscow. Images of the reported crash site circulated by Russian state media show debris scattered among dense forest, surrounded by plumes of smoke. Russia's Interfax news agency said there were adverse weather conditions at the time of the crash, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services. Several Russian news outlets also reported that the Anatov aircraft was almost 50 years old, citing data taken from the plane's tail number. The transport prosecutor's office in the Far East said in an online statement that the plane had attempted a second approach while trying to land when contact with it was lost. The authorities have launched a probe on the charge of flight safety violations that resulted in multiple deaths, a standard procedure in aviation accidents. Aviation incidents have been frequent in Russia, especially in recent years as international sanctions have squeezed the country's aviation sector.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
Dozens feared killed after plane crashes in Russia's Far East, state media reports
Almost 50 people including children are feared dead after a Soviet-era passenger plane crashed in Russia's far eastern Amur region, state media reported on Thursday, citing local officials. The plane, an Antonov An-24, was flying on a regional route from Khabarovsk to Blagoveshchensk and Tynda when it disappeared from the radar, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement posted on Telegram. The Amur Center for Civil Defence and Fire Safety said on Telegram that a search and rescue helicopter spotted the wreck of the plane on a mountain slope 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Tynda. It said no survivors were seen from the air. It said that according to the director of the Tynda airport, the plane caught fire after it crashed. The emergency ministry said it is investigating why the plane lost contact, and the Interstate Aviation Committee launched a probe. According to publicly available databases, the aircraft was built in 1976. The Antonov AN-24 model was designed in 1957. Vasiliy Orlov, the governor of Amur region, said on Telegram that according to preliminary data, there were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board the plane. Citing emergency officials, Russian state news agency TASS said preliminary information indicates that all those aboard the aircraft were dead. The aircraft was only a few miles from the Tynda airport when it lost contact with air traffic controllers, the emergency ministry added. Orlov said search and rescue operations were under way, with 'all necessary forces and means involved' in the effort. TASS reported the area where the plane went missing is remote and difficult to reach, with no roads through the swampy forest. The flight was operated by Angara Airlines, a Russian airline that is based in Irkutsk in Siberia. This is a developing story and will be updated. Solve the daily Crossword
