A rare black leopard was born at a zoo in the Kyiv region (video)
A Far Eastern leopard cub with an unusual black coat has arrived at a zoo in the Kyiv region. This subspecies is one of the rarest in the world—there are only about a hundred individuals left in the wild. In the wild, the black coat makes hunting and survival more difficult.
This was reported by Suspilne.
The leopard cub, named Hera, was born in August 2025 to a pair of Amur leopards—Salma and Hercules. The black coloration is attributed to recessive genes, which may not manifest in animals for many years.
It is reported that the zoo has made numerous attempts to breed Amur leopards. They even invited other specialists.
“We received various recommendations from specialists who visited us, as these animals are very rare. They live in cold, snowy regions,” says zoo owner Mykhailo Pinchuk.
After the cub was born, it had to be taken away from its mother because it had become weak due to an infection. The leopard cub was hand-fed under the supervision of veterinarians. According to zoo staff, the animal initially refused the formula because it was accustomed to its mother’s milk.
Gary is now about six months old, weighs approximately 15 kilograms, is doing well, and is preparing to move to an outdoor enclosure.
Visitors will be able to see her as early as April.
As a reminder, hundreds of birds affected by an oil spill were brought to the Odessa Zoo – photos.
Russian occupation forces launched a series of devastating strikes on port infrastructure in the Odesa region, specifically targeting the oil terminal of the Swiss company Allseeds Switzerland. According to the company’s director, Cornelis (Kis) Vrins, facilities at the Pivdennyi port were bombed last week, as well as on the night of December 21 and the morning of the same day.
The attack on Allseeds was part of a broader wave of strikes on the Odesa region, which also damaged a bridge in the Mayaky area and energy infrastructure. As of the evening of December 21, more than 37,000 customers in Odesa and the Odesa region remain without power. Despite the destruction, the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development assures that logistics routes for food and emergency services are secured via alternative routes.
The waters of Ukraine’s largest port, Pivdennyi, were completely closed as of December 24, 2025, due to critical contamination with vegetable oil.
