FELINES FEATURED FOR TOUR VISITORS RARE LEOPARDS ON DISPLAY AT ANNUAL TWILIGHT EVENT.

Byline: Daily News

ROSAMOND -- The Exotic Feline Breeding Compound's Feline Conservation Center will open its doors at twilight June 17 for a ``Fathers at the Summer'' tour.

Among the animals visitors can see will be the center's two newest fathers, Gigant, an Amur leopard, and Kangji, a North Chinese leopard.

Center officials also hope to show off the Amur leopard cub, Dimitri, and two North Chinese leopard cubs, Yanna and Li Ming.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $15 per person. Only visitors age 18 and older will be admitted.

People who pay in advance can enter at 5 p.m.

Both the Amur leopard and North Chinese leopard subspecies are rare and endangered, with worldwide populations in the hundreds only.

The EFBC breeds them and other feline species. Center officials say they house one of the world's most genetically diverse collections of both the Amur and North Chinese leopards.

Felines not ordinarily on exhibit to the general public will be available for viewing, including rare African sand cats, margays and Pallas' cats.

Also included in the evening's festivities is an opportunity to be photographed with one of the center's feline residents (conditions permitting), a bake sale put on by the center's volunteer staff, and a barbecue provided by the Lancaster Rotary Club, with all profits being donated to the center.

Twilight Tours are given three times a year to raise money for the center and to let visitors see rare wild felines during the time of day when they are most active.

Proceeds will go to expand breeding areas, construct new enclosures and landscaping needs.

The center is at 3718 60th St. W., off Rosamond Boulevard west of Rosamond. For more information, directions and ticket purchases, call [phone] or log on to www.wildcatzoo.org.