Meet Domino: A black leopard at the Monterey Zoo
One of the next new exhibits at the Monterey Zoo will house two African leopards, Oz and Domino. Oz is a spotted leopard, one of the easiest animals to identify in the entire collection. Domino is a black color variant of a leopard. The dark variations are a result of additional melanin which is a result of two dominant genes in leopards. Domino does still have spots if you look at his coat in the sun but they are nearly hidden by the number of black hairs in his coat.
Catering to a leopard's love of heights, the new enclosure will provide these great beauties with ample places to scale.
Because leopards are among the most adept feline climbers, state laws dictate that leopard cages must have sealed roofs.They could easily scale the tallest chain link fence built and, unlike domestic cats, they can climb down head first. In the wild, they are extremely powerful for their size and are often seen dragging carcasses equal to their weight up a 33-foot tree, thus placing it where competitors can no longer go.
Leopards aren't the only large feline with black variants in their numbers. Jaguars also produce shiny black individuals. Interestingly their dark color, also a result of the abundance of melanin, is a result of a recessive gene, opposite of its occurrence in leopards. Other major physiological differences exist between the old world and new world felines, the most notable of which being a jaguar's much larger size. Their heads are shaped differently as well. Jaguars are seasoned swimmers, crossing jungle lakes and rivers with ease. Leopards are shy about water.
"When we got Domino," said Charlie Sammut, director of the Monterey Zoo, "the left side of his face had white whiskers so we named him Domino. Unfortunately, he didn't stay that way. He lost his white whiskers."
Sammut also noted that any animal called a 'black panther' really doesn't exist.
"The only large cat that's called a panther is the Florida Panther," Sammut said. "And those are an eastern subspecies of our western mountain lion. So when people start talking about black panthers, you really have to find out which animal they're referring to, leopards or jaguars."
During our visit, Domino was enjoying his time in the warm December sunshine, purring and rubbing against Sammut and later turning over on his back in cuddly, submissive poses. A video of our visit is posted on our website. It was clear that Domino and Sammut have a special bond together. It's a bond Sammut has been able to develop especially between those animals that have come to him as babies or juveniles and he's had the chance to raise.
Black leopards exist in the wild, especially in the rain forests of Southeast Asia where a black coat is among the best camouflages an animal could hope for. The fertility of black leopards mated together is less fruitful than common spotted pairs.
Leopards are particularly adaptable and will eat a wide-variety of food types. They also live in several different climates and at a variety of elevations. Their normal lifespan is between 12 and 17 years, longer in captivity.