Gift for leopard: video from Tbilisi Zoo
Leopard at Tbilisi Zoo
In this vlog from Tbilisi Zoo, we introduce one of its more unusual residents — a solitary leopard.
Creating an engaging environment for the animals is part of the keepers’ daily work. They come up with different ways to enrich the animals’ surroundings. Today, their focus is on the leopard, which receives an unusual treat as a gift.
Modern zoos widely use different methods to ensure animal welfare. These methods help stimulate animals’ mental and physical development and support their natural behaviour. This practice is known as environmental enrichment.
The leopard is a solitary animal. Like others of its species, it avoids crowds and leaves its enclosure or man-made shelters only when necessary. We captured this footage after a long wait.
In the past, leopards were widespread in Georgia and lived in the forests of the Greater Caucasus range. Today, their habitat in the country has shrunk, although they have been recorded several times in recent years using camera traps.
Leopards mainly hunt at night. They have a strong build and a relatively large skull compared to their body size, which allows them to take down even large prey.
Tbilisi Zoo‘s history spans nearly a century. It was founded on 10 February 1927 on the basis of the Caucasian Society for the Acclimatisation of Animals, which had been keeping wild animals since the early 20th century, though without official zoo status.
The zoo was originally built on 70 hectares in the Vere River gorge. Over the years, the expansion of the capital — and later the devastating flood of 13 June 2015 — significantly reduced the territory of the old zoo. Today, it covers five hectares and is home to around 1,500 animals, each with its own story.
In this video series, we will introduce you to the residents of Tbilisi Zoo. We will show how their day unfolds, how they interact with other animals and people, and how their behaviour changes depending on the weather and the season. Get ready to hear many fascinating stories.
Leopard at Tbilisi Zoo
