Bioparc Fuengirola is home to more than 200 different species, a large part of them included in European conservation programs for threatened species through which it is possible to preserve biodiversity. One of these is the sri lankan leopard, a subspecies endemic to the island that gives it its name and which is currently in danger of extinction.

Since the animal park began its journey in 2001 to protect this feline expert in camouflage, it has housed several pairs. The last of them was made up of Toñi, an elderly female who died due to kidney disease in 2022, and Tissa. After saying goodbye to the male, transferred to the Bratislava Zoo, BIOPARC Fuengirola has received a new, young pair of Sri Lankan leopards that visitors can now see during their visit: Uda and Okanda.

Uda, the new male, comes from the French zoo in Cerza and is almost three years old and is about to reach maturity. He is in perfect condition to begin the union with Okanda, the female, who was the last to arrive from another French zoo, Maubeuge Zoo. Although with a more timid character than the male, the adaptation and interaction with the Okanda male, as indicated by his caretakers, is being positive.

Protocols to ensure minimal stress and a successful adaptation to what will be your new home

The arrival of any new member to the BIOPARC Fuengirola animal family means implementing an adaptation and training device to ensure that they do not suffer stress and that the entire process is successful.

This adaptation period involves familiarization with the indoor and outdoor facilities, diets and, of course, with their new team of caregivers. "For example, with the female, who has been the last to arrive, we are working on basic handling, movements between rest areas and her outdoor patio, in order to train her in her daily management of exit and entry to which she is. your new installation. As we progress in this, she sees herself from afar with the male, they share smells and sounds. Her next step will be to let her know the outside and mark the aforementioned entry and exit handling. After this we would move on to the interaction part with the male,” explains Antonio Garrucho, head of Zoology at BIOPARC Fuengirola.

For a few days now, visitors can now see these young specimens exploring their outdoor facilities and playing hide and seek using their camouflage skin.

Helping to Sri Lanka leopard conservation since 2001

BIOPARC Fuengirola participates in the EAZA EEP of this subspecies endemic to Sri Lanka since the park opened in 2001. Poaching and the destruction of the rainforests, forests and arid scrub areas of this island in the Bay of Bengal, their natural habitat, have led to these cats being included on the Red List of the IUCN in the “endangered” category. According to official records,  It is estimated that there are less than 800 specimens left in the wild in the island's jungles.

In order to stop this degradation, the EAZA 'ex situ' Program (EEP) was created to establish a captive breeding program and promote conservation actions in its habitat. The EEP program currently has 66 leopards spread across the 26 zoos that participate in this initiative, including Bioparc Fuengirola.