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SALT LAKE CITY — Nema, the 21-year-old snow leopard at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, has died, zoo personnel said Sunday.
Nema died from old age on Thursday, according to a post on the zoo's Facebook page on Sunday.
“Nema was a very talkative and personable cat and her regal presence will be greatly missed,” the post says.
Nema was the oldest cat involved in the species survival plan, a multi-zoo management system that maintains and preserves zoo populations of animal species, zoo personnel said. Hogle Zoo houses many senior animals.
The leopard also played an important role in helping her critically endangered species survive, according to the zoo.
She gave birth to Himal, a cat who moved to a zoo in New England, zoo personnel said. In 2012, Nema also gave birth to Chimeegui, who is still living at Hogle Zoo.
Nema is the third animal Hogle Zoo has said goodbye to in recent months.
Earlier this month, the 14-month-old warthog, Walter, died after suffering from bladder stones. Kipenzi, a 15-year-old giraffe, was humanely euthanized in July after zoo personnel were unable to save her life following some gastrointestinal dysfunction issues.
Hogle Zoo’s polar bear Nora broke a bone in January but had surgery and was recovering well earlier this spring.
