A snow leopard at Tanganyika Wildlife Park has become an internet sensation after her comical reaction to a pumpkin was captured on video. The big cat, named Juno, was given the Halloween treat as part of the park's seasonal enrichment activities.
In the footage, Juno initially pushes the pumpkin off a rock and watches it tumble with apparent disinterest. However, moments later, she suddenly leaps into the air, kicking her legs back in a manner reminiscent of a domestic cat startled by a cucumber. The park captioned the video: 'Juno the snow leopard appears to have a love/hate relationship with pumpkins.'
Dr Pamela Perry, a behaviourist specialist at Cornell Feline Health Centre, explained that cats often react this way to novel objects. 'They're jumping because this is something they haven't seen before, and suddenly, it's just... there,' she said. Juno's antics included attacking the pumpkin, hugging it, and then pushing it away before eventually rolling it around and playing with it.
The video has drawn amused comments, with one viewer noting, 'Cats are cats at any size,' and another adding, 'Proof that big cats are still cats.' Indeed, domestic cats and snow leopards share a common ancestor from around 10.8 million years ago and 95.6% of their DNA, according to Cats Protection.
