© Copyright 2009 - 2010, all rights reserved. Leopard
Some leopards live in captivity. The lives of leopards in captivity are very different from the lives of leopards in the wild.
Some captive leopards live in zoos; others, in sanctuaries or circuses. A sanctuary is a place where people house and care for sick or injured animals. Sanctuaries also provide homes for animals that have been kept as pets. It is illegal to keep leopards as pets in most countries, but few people still do. Zoos, sanctuaries, and circuses offer people a chance to see leopards up close and offer scientists and researchers opportunities to study the leopard.
Some zoos have breeding programs for leopards. The zoo keepers bring male and female leopards together to mate. Sometimes, the zoo keepers even have to find or trade a mating partner from another zoo. In captivity, people help mother leopards care for their cubs. Most leopards in captivity have safe and healthy lives. Leopards live for up to 23 years in captivity. Some leopard cubs may be set free in leopard reserves or wildlife parks.
Keeping and caring leopards in captivity is one way to protect and conserve the leopard population. This is a necessary approach to keep some endangered subspecies of leopards from extinction.
Leopard in Captivity
