Zurich Zoo

Rocks and scree provide good camouflage for the snow leopards at Zurich Zoo. Photo by Carolyn Wosrtell.

The Zurich Zoo opened this spectacular snow leopard exhibit in 2002. It has a huge area, with rocks and scree and ledges. You can see the way people have to take stairs to the top viewing area how large it is and that it almost mimics the snow leopard’s habitat in the Himalayas. Thank you Zurich Zoo, we’ve come a long way from 1906.

Can you spot the snow leopard? Rocks, trees and bushes in the state of the art snow leopard exhibit at Zurich Zoo. Photo by Monika Fiby.

Today many zoo environments, while not all as state of the art as the Zurich Zoo, offer physical spaces that are reasonable size with natural vegetation, rocks, trees and lots of enrichment activities.