THE Welsh Mountain Zoo has revealed the name of its first Snow Leopard cub in a decade.

Zoo enthusiasts and members of the public were invited to vote for their favourite name from a choice of four with a £1 donation per vote, raising an impressive £307 for the Snow Leopard Trust.

Keepers had chosen the four contenders: Zephyr meaning gentle breeze; Tai Lung translating as Great Dragon in English; Layan which pays tribute to the Himalayan mountain range to which snow leopards are native, and Qilian whose name originates from the Qilian Mountains, a rugged mountain range in west - central China where wild Snow Leopard populations are also found.

Qilian was chosen following an overwhelming majority vote in favour of the striking name!

Chris Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of the Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “We are delighted to officially announce the name of our male Snow Leopard cub as Qilian.

"All of us at the Welsh Mountain Zoo are thankful to every member of the public who participated in our Snow Leopard Cub name fundraiser, raising money for a worthy cause whilst choosing such a wonderful name from a series of strong contenders.

"The choice of this name is particularly meaningful for us due to Qilian taking his namesake from the Qilian Mountains of China.

"As the Welsh Mountain Zoo we are proud that our Snow Leopard cub has this connection to both the mountains that his wild cousins call home, and the mountain upon which he was born.

“Qilian is growing and developing just as he should and has been seen venturing out and around both guest facing and behind the scenes areas of the Snow Leopard habitat.”

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The new arrival marks the cub as the first to be born at the Zoo for a decade, and the first also to be born to the newest Snow Leopard pairing (Sumbe and Padme) within the Silk Road habitat, completed in 2021.

The Zoo enjoys a rich history with Snow Leopards, a species which is classed by the IUCN Red List as vulnerable in the wild.

Breeding in managed Zoo settings alongside the Zoo’s ongoing commitment to the Snow Leopard Trust is critical, helping to raise awareness of the pressures that wild Snow Leopard populations face whilst safeguarding the future conservation of this amazing animal.