Zoo Boise is treating its 12-year-old snow leopard, Sabu, for chronic kidney disease and several other age-related conditions, and has told visitors not to be alarmed by the changes they may see in him.
The Boise, Idaho zoo shared the update on June 30, 2026. Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) generally live 10 to 13 years in the wild, so Sabu is near the upper end of that range, and his care has grown more specialized as he has aged.
What guests will notice
Two changes are visible from the public side of the habitat. Sabu has lost weight, which is common in older cats with kidney disease. He also has small bald patches on his tail. Those are deliberate. The shaved areas let his veterinary team draw blood safely and comfortably, so the tests that guide his treatment can be done without added stress.
His care team has also shaved small portions of his abdomen to help him shed body heat during the warmer months. He has access to sprinklers, fans, shade and cooled indoor spaces, and like every animal at Zoo Boise he chooses where he spends his day. On hot afternoons he may stay inside.
How the zoo is treating him
Sabu gets regular physical examinations, frequent weight checks, ultrasound evaluations read by veterinary radiology specialists, medications, nutritional supplements and supportive fluid therapy. His keepers have added water to his whole-prey diet and offer blood-flavored ice treats to get more fluids into him.
Wild animals instinctively hide pain and illness, which is why the daily monitoring matters. Zoo Boise’s veterinary and animal care teams watch for small changes in Sabu’s behavior and run diagnostics to catch problems he would not otherwise show.
“Sabu has touched the hearts of our staff and our community for years, and ensuring he receives the very best care is our highest priority,” said Boise Parks and Recreation Director Sara Arkle. “While it can be difficult to watch an animal grow older, it is also a privilege to provide the individualized attention and dignity that every animal at Zoo Boise deserves.”
Who Sabu is
Sabu was born in 2014 and arrived at Zoo Boise in 2020. He became a guest favorite quickly, and his keepers describe a calm animal.
Snow leopards are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. They live at low density across the high mountains of Central and South Asia, and most people will never see one outside a zoo.
Zoo Boise, a division of Boise Parks and Recreation, says it will keep sharing updates on Sabu’s condition. The zoo has used its conservation fund to pay for field work abroad, including a spider monkey sanctuary in El Salvador.
