Fukuoka City Zoo announced that George, the father of the first successfully captive-bred Tsushima Leopard Cat, died of old age on June 14. He was estimated to be at least 18 years old. The Tsushima Leopard Cat is a protected species in Japan, and half of the 26 cats that have been born and raised at the Fukuoka City Zoo were fathered by George. George was captured on Tsushima Island (Nagasaki Prefecture) in March 1997 and brought to the zoo when he was about two years old. The zoo conducted 10 successful attempts of captive breeding through 2006, leading to the birth of 18 cats, 13 of which survived into adulthood. The zoo currently has 9 cats in captivity, of which two are George’s daughters. George began losing his appetite near the end of last year and fell ill. Researchers at Yamaguchi University will examine his cause of death in detail. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 20
