Use of a custom restraining box for estrus induction using PMSG and successful reproduction in a snow leopard...

Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are vulnerable felids with low reproductive success in captivity. Their thick fur and cautious behavior often make dart-based hormone delivery unreliable; as a result, practical estrus-induction protocols are limited.

A 9-year-old female snow leopard at Seoul Zoo, housed with a male since 2003 without previous conception, underwent two estrus induction attempts. In the first trial, 600 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) followed by 300 IU human chorionic gonadotropin resulted in mating but only a pseudopregnancy. A portable wooden restraining box with a squeezing panel enabled accurate hormone injection using hand syringes. After a 97-day separation period, a second trial involved a single injection of 600 IU PMSG. After reintroduction to the male, multiple matings occurred for eight days, and a single cub was delivered 94 days after the first mating. The cub nursed normally for two days but died due to maternal infanticide.

This case shows that reliable estrus induction and parturition in snow leopards can be achieved with a single PMSG injection when supported by a customized restraining box that ensures accurate hormone delivery. This method offers a practical approach to assisted reproduction in difficult-to-handle snow leopards and other felids.