Lee Richardson Zoo mourns death of snow leopard

GARDEN CITY, KAN. — The Lee Richardson Zoo, one of Garden City’s most visited attractions is mourning the loss of Kalmali, a seven year-old snow leopard. Kalmali was euthanized on Tuesday morning due to renal failure.

According to a release from the zoo, “The median life expectancy for snow leopards is 15 years. Kali, as zoo staff called him, had been under veterinary care for his condition for 2 years but his health had recently deteriorated to the point where his quality of life was an issue.”

Kali was one of the zoo’s main attractions and was loved by many at the zoo.

“I’ll really miss how he greeted me in the mornings when I’d come in,” zookeeper Kirsten Perkins said. “And how much he enjoyed it when we’d be walking the sheep through the zoo and happened to go past his habitat.”

The Lee Richardson Zoo is currently working with the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan to try and get a new snow leopard in to replace Kali.