I'm no expert on how leopards evolved/expanded geographically but maybe the Amur Leopards are more closely related to Asian leopards which I understand are more likely to be melanistic? Additionally maybe there's never been a black Amur Leopard spotted in the wild as their colouration means they struggle to survive in their habitat?
At least some good news from Hodenhagen ! I've lived about 10 km away from this safari-park for 3 years - when I worked at Walsrode - but never managed to visit it at the end of the 1980-ties. At that time it already had quite a bad name ( the reason I didn't want to go to it ) and I worked at Walsrode with several ex-Hodenhagen-keepers ( both English ), which were by the way very skilled persons ! At that time I also met the wife of an ex-Hodenhagenkeeper ( forgot her name ), so lost her husband through a fatal tiger-attack at the Safari-park ! She wasn't able to tell me more about it - to painfull - but maybe somebody else know more about this accident which must have happened around 1985-1988 ?
A consignment of animals that arrived from Dvur Kralove today included.. 2.0 Southern Cheetah 2.0 Thomsons Gazelle 1.0 Arabian Oryx 2.0 Angolan Colobus Kudu (think Greater but translation isn't clear) In exchange, a female Southern White Rhino will go to Dvur later this week http://www.zoodvurkralove.cz/cs/nov...ydne-dorazi-samice-jizniho-bileho-nosorozce-/
For about 2 months 'superstar' Justin Biber came to Germany and with him his baby White-fronted capucine monkey. Because he however didn't had the right papers to bring the animal into Germany, the animal was confitigated and mr. Biber was given the possibility to provide the documents at a later date so he would get back his mokey. Mr. Biber is however quite bussy and the documents never came to Germany. Therefor the animal is now brought to Hodenhagen safari park were it will be intergraded into the small Capucine-group already there ( 3 males, 3 females ). Hopefully the little animal will forget his former owner and live a happy monkey-life at Hodenhagen !
White Rhino, Kianga has given birth to a female calf today - the 3rd White Rhino birth at Hodenhagen this year
On Sunday-evening 4 Baboons escaped from the Safaripark and were seen at several places but it proofed impossible to catch them. The next morning all 4 had returned to the Safaripark themself ! This is already the 6th time Baboons escaped and every time they come back on their own.
New species at Hodenhagen : White-faced sakis. 3 male ( father and his 2 sons ) came from the Danish Jesperhus Blomsterpark .
Short video of the newly born rhino-calf : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ck919ooUes&feature=youtu.be
The new Rhino-calf has been named Moana ( so I guess the calf is a female (?) ) and it's the 47th white rhino born at Hodenhagen !