NEW Zoo's 'bestest kitty floof,' Rajan the snow leopard, has died
SUAMICO - Just as the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park is getting to know its newest resident, Eddie the giraffe, it has had to say goodbye to another.
Rajan, a 16-year-old male snow leopard that arrived at the zoo in 2019, has died. He was euthanized this week after his health deteriorated due to kidney disease, the zoo said in an announcement posted Thursday on its social media.
Rajan had been undergoing treatment for the disease since February 2022. Renal disease, which is common in older cats of many species, can be managed for a time, but there is no cure, according to the post.
"Rajan’s treatments worked well for over a year and a half, but about a week ago, zookeepers noticed some subtle changes in Rajan’s behavior, including a decrease in appetite. A veterinary exam and tests revealed significant deterioration in his kidney function. Rajan’s appetite and energy levels continued to decrease, and after consultation with our veterinary staff, all his caretakers, and our animal welfare specialist, the decision was made to humanely euthanize Rajan this week."
His zoo caretaker described him in the post as "her most handsomest, favorite boy." Unlike most cats, he wasn't motivated by food. Instead, it was hearing baby talk about what a good "floof" he was that he responded to in his training sessions.
He loved scent enrichments, most notably cardamom, but he also loved to roll around in and rub his face up against cinnamon and nutmeg scents.
Rajan came to the NEW Zoo from the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma by private plane in 2019 as a companion to the zoo's female snow leopard at the time, Tami, who had lost her elderly mate in 2018.
Tami died in 2020 at age 19. Ahava, a 3-year-old female, joined the zoo in May 2022. She's currently residing behind the scenes as the new snow leopard habitat is completed.
In December, the NEW Zoo announced the badly outdated building that housed the zoo's two snow leopards will be replaced with a new 912-square-foot building and an adjoining outdoor area with a rock formation. It's part of $1.7 million improvement that also includes the recently opened Lee & Kathy Anderson Giraffe Lodge.
The new state-of-the-art snow leopard habitat is expected to be completed in time for a grand opening in December, said NEW Zoo director Carmen Murach. The zoo is working with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums snow leopard Species Survival Program leaders to determine the best match for Ahava. There is currently not a timeline for when a young male may join her, but zoo staff hopes it will be soon, Murach said.
The snow leopard and giraffe projects were made possible by a donation from the Andersons of Rockland, along with additional fundraising by the NEW Zoological Society.
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Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @KendraMeinert.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Rajan, the male snow leopard at the NEW Zoo in Suamico, has died
