Over the past month, the Greenville Zoo staff has used ultrasound imaging to confirm that Jade, the zoo’s nine-year-old female Amur leopard, is pregnant and monitor the health of her unborn cubs. Weather permitting, the staff conducts an ultrasound each Monday and Thursday from the public side of the Amur leopard enclosure, allowing zoo guests an opportunity to view the process and learn about the leopards. Zookeepers trained Jade to climb onto a box attached to the fence inside her enclosure, lie down and remain in position. This allows the veterinary staff to access the inside of the box from outside the enclosure and use the ultrasound probe to examine her. A docent or zookeeper is usually on hand to share information with guests during the procedure.
The Amur leopard is one of the most critically endangered big cats in the world, with numbers ranging around 84 in the wild and 180 in captivity. Because they are so rare, zoos work together internationally to ensure that the genetic variability of the captive population remains at a high level, both for the health of the animals and in the event there comes a time when they can be reintroduced to the wild.
https://ultrasoundclass.org/amur-leopard-gets-an-ultrasound-greenville-zoo/
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