Sacramento Zoo to say goodbye to beloved snow leopard

Tonight, the Sacramento Zoo saying bye to a fan favorite blizzard. The snow leopard will be gone within the next few weeks. He's off to a new zoo, but it is for an important cause. New reporter Ashley Sharp was at the zoo today as the clock is ticking for guests to see the big cat one last time. It might be 100 degrees in Sacramento, but at the zoo, there's a blizzard daily in the forecast. I just think he's such a handsome boy blizzard. The snow leopard that is beloved by zoo visitors. And now he's a snow cat adapted to a hot climate. He has an area in the back that's air conditioned during the hot months will bring in big things of ice to help cool him down as enrichment. But we need to give him those opportunities to be able to cool off with all of that extra flow. But after more than a decade of calling Sacramento home, the big cat is destined for a big move. It is definitely bittersweet to say goodbye to some of our favorites, but we know that it is for a good reason. He's going off to continue the snow leopard population. Blizzard will be relocated to a new zoo in the next few weeks as part of a breeding recommendation. This is going to be the last time that snow leopards will be at the Sacramento Zoo. So it's a big deal. It's a big change for the zoo. Blizzard won't be a first time dad in 2018. He and Leopard Misha welcomed Coconut, the only snow leopard cub born at the zoo since 2000 and six. Snow leopards are absolutely an endangered species. It is really important for them to be represented in zoos. It's estimated there are only 4 to 7000 snow leopards left in the wild. So as Sacramento says goodbye, it's a move that brings brighter days for big cats like blizzard. They're beautiful creatures, right? So the zoo encourages people to come out soon to see blizzard one last time. But for the cat safety, they are waiting to disclose what zoo he's going to and exactly when until he arrives safely. Safe travels to blizzard, right? Wishing him the best.