Female Amur leopard cub named Zeya born at Dartmoor Zoo
Zeya is one of only 15 Amur leopard cubs born globally in 2025
Dartmoor Zoo has revealed that their Amur leopard cub, born on 29th September, is female and has been named Zeya.
The cub, one of just 15 Amur leopard cubs born worldwide in 2025, is the offspring of Freddo and Lena, the zoo’s breeding pair of Amur leopards. The cub was first observed via CCTV footage in the cubbing den, with staff confirming her sex and name 10 weeks after her birth.
Zeya’s name was chosen by the keeper team at Dartmoor Zoo, drawing inspiration from the River Zeya in the Amur leopard’s native region. Amur leopards are classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with only approximately 120 remaining in the wild.
David Gibson, CEO of Dartmoor Zoo, praised the significance of Zeya’s birth, especially given her status as a female.
“With fewer than 200 of the species in captivity globally, the birth of our Amur leopard cub at the end of September this year is a fabulous achievement for Dartmoor Zoo and for the global conservation efforts for Amur leopard,” Gibson said.
“Now that we know for definite that the cub is healthy and thriving, we can allow ourselves to properly celebrate this major event. Watching how Lena has cared for this precious soul in the first few weeks of its life is a real privilege and one that all the staff at the Zoo have enjoyed.
"In terms of the global conservation breeding programme, the fact that our newest arrival is a female is crucial as in the years to come she will go on to give birth to her own cubs helping to safeguard the future of this critically endangered species.”
At the moment, Zeya and her mother, Lena, remain off display to give Zeya time to grow strong and complete health checks. Announcements regarding when Zeya will be moved to the on-show enclosure will be made in the future.
Hannah Ivory, one of the zoo’s keepers, shared insights into Zeya’s early development.
“Zeya is a full of beans little girl, who loves nothing more than playing with mum’s tail and testing her strength climbing the platforms,” Ivory said.
“Even at 10 weeks, she’s already a very good climber!"
Ivory also noted the bond forming between the cub and her mum, as well as interactions with her father, Freddo, through the slides in their enclosure.
Prior to opening the enclosure to the public, Dartmoor Zoo encourages donations to support conservation projects like this one.