Anna, Queen of the Snow Leopards

The sight of a snow leopard always feels a little magical. They’re gorgeous cats all dressed in shades of gray and white with black spots all over their thick fur, and super long soft and fluffy tails. And when you look into that big cat face, there’s a gentleness in their eyes.

Anna is a beauty, for sure! The most mature of the three snow leopards at the San Diego Zoo, she is now 13 years old, and seems very elegant to me. She can be recognized by the kink in her tail. She came to San Diego in 2006. The two younger snow leopards, also in the Asian Leopard Exhibit, are Ramil (a male that will be 4 in July), and Penny (3 years old).

These cats are rarely seen in their native habitat, being well camouflaged and often in terrain and climates people wouldn’t be able to endure. An endangered species, it’s estimated that there are less than 7,000 individuals left.

Having the chance to see and appreciate these beautiful cats so close up is a precious thing. And knowing there’s hope for cubs in our future is very exciting!