Hogle Zoo’s black-footed cat transferred to Texas
Nov 22, 2024, 1:32 PM
Gaia the black-footed cat will now take up residence at a Texas zoo. (Utah's Hogle Zoo)
(Utah's Hogle Zoo)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Hogle Zoo has transferred its black-footed cat to a zoo in Texas as part of a breeding program.
Gaia the black-footed cat arrived at Hogle Zoo in 2023.
“Weighing in at just under three pounds, Gaia became a guest sensation when she arrived at Hogle Zoo in 2023 from Fossil Rim Wildlife Center,” Hogle Zoo said in a press release. “Her huge eyes, small demeanor, and vital role in conserving her vulnerable species made headlines across the globe.
She was brought to Hogle to breed with the zoo’s other black-footed cat, Ryder.
However, the zoo had to euthanize Ryder in July of this year after he developed advanced kidney disease.
The Black-footed Cat Consortium, an organization dedicated to maintaining a diverse and healthy population of these cats, recommended Gaia’s transfer to Texas to give her the chance to breed.
Gaia will now take up residence at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas.
Hogle Zoo said it plans to house black-footed cats again in the future.
Black-footed cat: Deadly but vulnerable
Although Gaia’s species are small, they’re also deadly.
Black-footed cats have a 60% success rate in hunting, according to Discover Wildlife. Comparatively, some big cats like lions and tigers have success rates of less than 30%.
Despite their hunting prowess, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed black-footed cats as a vulnerable species since 2002.
This means the cats are at risk of extinction if the circumstances threatening them do not change.
