Lisa is an experienced mother and has had three litters. Photo: Jackelin Reyna, courtesy of the Houston Zoo.
Meet Lisa, the new 13-year-old female Amur leopard at the Houston Zoo.
Why it matters: Amur leopards are critically endangered, with less than 100 Amur leopards left in the wild, making Lisa one of the world's rarest big cats.
Threat level: The decline of the Amur leopard population, named after the Amur River near eastern Russia and northern China, is due to habitat loss, poaching, and human encroachment.
State of play: She came from the Brookfield Zoo Chicago and has exhibited a confident, curious and sassy personality, her animal care team discovered.
They've also found that she's highly food-motivated, with chunk meat and rabbit being her current favorites.
Fun fact: Similar in size to other leopards, Amur leopards can run up to 35 mph but have longer legs and larger feet to help them walk through snowy environments more easily.
Because Amur leopards are accustomed to colder temperatures, Lisa's habitat features fans, misters and a waterfall to help keep her cool.
