Toronto Zoo: A 3-year-old snow leopard is pregnant for the first time

Jita, a nearly three-year-old snow leopard, is pregnant, officials at the Toronto Zoo have announced. In February, he was caged with 9-year-old Pemba as part of a snow leopard conservation program.

According to the zoo, a snow leopard's pregnancy lasts 90 to 110 days, which would put Geeta likely to give birth between May 6 and 27. The zoo's health team said they are tracking the animal's pregnancy using ultrasound, but Jita's fur is so thick and fluffy that the images are not clear, so the number of her cubs is not yet known.

Snow leopards are one of the fastest and most beautiful big cats. They are native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, including the Himalayas.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed snow leopards as "vulnerable". Their population is estimated between 4,000 and 6,500, but due to their hiding and their remote habitat, it is difficult to determine their exact number.

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