A HAMPSHIRE zoo has announced the death of one of its “beautiful” snow leopards.
Staff at Marwell Zoo in Winchester have bid farewell to 14-year-old Indeever, who came to the zoo from Zurich in 2010, aged two.
He quickly established himself as a big character at the zoo who loved to interact with his keepers and show them a keen interest in what was going on around him.
Whilst at the zoo Indeever fathered two litters of cubs, including Kadhir and Kamala in 2011 and Ajendra and Animesh in 2013.
He played a vital role in the survival of the species as snow leopards are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.
Animal team leader Carrie Arnold said she will “always miss him”.
READ MORE: Woman, 34, banned from Marwell Zoo over Facebook comments on opening times
She said: “He was such a joyful character and never failed to make you smile. Indy loved playing hide and seek.
“Every morning he would run around or hide behind rocks to avoid us. When we spotted him, he would turn around and sprint off in the other direction.
“In the afternoon he would become even more playful, stalking us and following when we walked away. He would stop every time you looked back and would then come to a certain part of the enclosure where he enjoyed rolling around on the ground.
“He’ll be sadly missed.”
Indeever developed arthritis and kidney disease, which was noticed after keepers saw him walking strangely.
READ NEXT: Sunak under fire for neglecting Southampton pupils - while private college gets £6m
Dr Sarah Jane Smith, deputy veterinary services manager, said: “We discovered he had arthritis in his pelvis and one of his knees. We started Indeever on long term pain relief, which initially worked really well.
“Indeever’s peculiar walk disappeared, and he was soon able to jump and bound around the enclosure again.”
Sadly though, his condition deteriorated again over the last week. He started to walk strangely again and had lost weight.
Dr Smith said: “We examined Indeever on Monday morning under anaesthesia and found that his weight loss was due to muscle loss. There were also signs of kidney disease on his urine sample.
“Muscle loss can be caused by both arthritis and kidney disease; and both diseases are very common in old cats, often happening at the same time.”
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.
Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.
You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today.
Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook
Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel