BRIDGEPORT — Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is getting ready for a birthday party this Saturday!
The zoo’s two Amur leopard cubs, Orion and Kallisto, are celebrating their first birthday–and the public is invited! The cubs were born on January 25th, 2019. The male Amur leopard cub, Orion, and the melanistic (an extremely rare black color variant) female, Kallisto, were hand-reared by Zoo staff. Amur leopards are a rare subspecies of leopard that has adapted to life in the temperate forests from Northeast China to the Korean peninsula and the Russian Far East. They are often illegally hunted for their beautiful spotted fur. The Amur leopard is agile and fast, running at speeds up to 37 miles per hour.
FOX61’s Dan Amarante visited the cubs last year, and they’ve grown. A lot. See below for details on how you can celebrate with the cubs!
- 9:00 a.m. First 100 guests through the gate receive free Zoo calendar magnet
- 10:00 a.m. Education talks begin at the leopard habitat
- 11:00 a.m. “Get the Spots Shots!” Photography Class led by Jack and Melanie Bradley in the Research Station
- Noon: Birthday enrichment offered to the cubs, designed to encourage exploration and play. Free cake and hot cocoa served to Zoo guests. PHOTO OPPS
- 1:00 p.m. Encore presentation of Fostering Felines Part II Lecture in the Research Station: talk supported with photos and video by Leopard Cub Care Specialists Bethany Thatcher and Chris Barker.
- 20% discount at Zoo Gift Shop offered all-day
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is located at 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport.
