Dublin Zoo has opened its newest habitat, the Himalayan Hills.
Inspired by the natural habitat of red pandas and snow leopards in the wild, the new habitat reflects the look and feel of a Nepalese Village with colourful roofs and prayer flags, leading visitors to enjoy an immersive experience as part of the themed eco-region.
Visitors will venture to the highest point of the Asian Forests to enjoy views of the elusive snow leopard prowling through a new habitat of sloping rocky terrain.
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Both red pandas and snow leopards are listed as endangered animals on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Speaking to Dublin Live about the new habitats, zookeeper Kieran McMahon said that both habitats are built to replicate what the animals would experience in the wild.
Mr McMahon said: "As you can seen Tashi our 10-year-old female snow leopard is behind us and both habitats are built to replicate as near as possible natural environments.
"So you've got a 15 metre rock face here for a snow leopard which is very reminiscent of where they would be in the Himalayas and she blends right in with the stone work.
He added: "She's a very elusive cat and that's what we are trying to replicate here at Dublin Zoo."
According to Mr McMahon, a male snow leopard is expected in the coming weeks and they are hoping to soon start a breeding process to have cubs.
This morning, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and local Dublin West TD opened the Himalayan Hills habitat during a ceremony at Dublin Zoo.
The Tánaiste said: “This is a brilliant new facility at Dublin Zoo, visitors and families will love it. I got to see work underway on the new red panda habitat last year when the Government announced €2m in special funding for the Zoo, following some difficult years for the zoo in the pandemic.
"It’s great to be back to see the finished project, especially with its strong focus on conservation, both in the Zoo and in the red panda’s natural habitat in Asia.
"The red panda and snow leopard habitats are a fantastic addition to existing habitats including the African Savanna, Sea Lion Cove and the Wolves in the Woods. Dublin Zoo had a place deep in my heart as a child. The children of today and the future will have even more to see when they come here.”
Meanwhile, Dr Christoph Schwitzer, Director of Dublin Zoo said that they are "very excited" to let visitors see the fantastic new habitats.
He said: "We are very excited to open the brand new Himalayan Hills habitat to our visitors. It has been designed to enhance the lifestyle of both the snow leopard and red panda, taking inspiration from their natural environment in Nepal."
Dr Schwitzer also praised the Irish public for their "invaluable" support for the zoo in recent years, particularly during the pandemic.
There was a €3 million investment in the Himalayan Hills habitat, with approximately half of that amount being funded by the Government through the OPW under the remit of Minister Patrick O’Donovan.
The new habitats are now open to the public and for more information click here
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