Poldi, the popular North Chinese leopard from Szeged Zoo, has moved to Kecskemét

In the summer of 2024, a new star entered the imaginary stage of Szeged Zoo, if we may put it that way, as we introduced Poldi to the public, the North Chinese leopard cub, who was raised by the director and caretakers of Szeged Zoo. Poldi had to be taken away from his mother, Shaian, after his birth, who did not take care of him – he was his first offspring – so we decided to raise him ourselves in order to ensure the cub’s survival. This was no small task for everyone, but Poldi grew up beautifully and became a real big cat. Because of this, he lived in an enclosure that our visitors could not see for a while and the joint play with his caretakers was already over. Now, however, his new enclosure is ready to welcome him in the Kecskemét Zoo, where he set off on Tuesday morning. Since it was the first time he had been anesthetized, the operation required serious attention. After the anesthesia, his claws, gums, teeth and genitals were examined to ensure that they were healthy and there was no inflammation anywhere. After the anesthesia, he was placed in a transport crate, and after the wake-up injection, he regained consciousness shortly after, so he was able to set off safely and healthily to Kecskemét, where he arrived safely and has already taken up residence.

One of the rarest and most endangered leopard species, there are fewer than 500 individuals living in the wild. There are also about 58 individuals living in zoos, mostly in Europe. The European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) is trying to stabilize the zoo population, which Szeged joined in 2009. Their reproduction was not successful for a long time, so in 2021, a new pair arrived alongside the male Chang. Saian came to Szeged from Thoiry, France, and in just 3 years their first child, Poldi, was born. Shortly after, a brother was born, who still lives with his mother, but will soon have to move to a new place as well.