Ailing snow leopard put to death at Seattle zoo

A 19-year-old snow leopard named Yaz was euthanized Thursday at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle after an examination showed his kidneys had failed.

The leopard, acquired by the zoo in 1999, had been lethargic and without an appetite for several days.

Snow leopards, which are native to the mountains of Central Asia, are endangered. Experts believe there may be fewer than 4,000 of them remaining in the wild.

The average life expectancy for snow leopards in captivity is 17 to 19 years.

Yaz sired two surviving cubs in 2000.

Since 1972, 28 snow-leopard cubs have been born at the zoo, and some have been sent to zoos in Australia, Canada, England and throughout North America.