Rare Amur leopard goes on display at KC Zoo

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A critically endangered Amur leopard has gone on display at the Kansas City Zoo.

The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/10FF2VN) reports that the 10-year-year-old leopard is named Natalia. She lived at the Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot, N.D., until it flooded in the summer of 2011. Since then, she's been at the Tanganyika Wildlife Park near Wichita.

In their natural habitat of the Russian Far East, there may be 40 or fewer Amur leopards left. Its primary threats are habitat depletion, prey and demand for the leopard's coat and its bones, an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine.

Natalia has had a cub before and could live another 10 years. Zoo director Randy Wisthoff says the zoo would "gladly" take a male if one could be found in the next couple years.

Upcoming Events