Hogle Zoo is mourning the death of its snow leopard grande dame, Nema, who died Thursday at age 21.
“We are proud to say that Nema was the oldest snow leopard" in the Species Survival Plan, the zoo posted Sunday on Facebook. “We attribute her longevity to the wonderful daily care and health care the zoo provides.”
According to the Snow Leopard Conservancy, 21 years is the longest the animals have been known to live in captivity. There’s no information on the life expectancy for snow leopards in the wild, although their lives “are much harder, so they are undoubtedly much shorter.