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Higashiyama Zoo Confirms Death of Snow Leopard Rian at 15

The zoo will set up a flower stand for visitors to pay respects later this month.

Overview

  • Caretakers found Rian dead in her sleeping room after she had eaten and behaved normally the previous evening, according to the zoo.
  • Staff said the suspected cause is acute heart failure, with details announced in the zoo's statement.
  • Rian was born in 2011 at Maruyama Zoo in Sapporo and moved to Higashiyama Zoo in 2016 for a breeding program.
  • Her death leaves one snow leopard at the Nagoya zoo, a 16-year-old male named Yukichi who had lived alongside her.
  • A memorial flower stand will be available from May 19 to 31 at the meat small-mammal house, where visitors can leave tributes.