From Zoo Miami via Instagram…
Zoo Miami is excited to announce the successful births of highly endangered clouded leopards. The two kittens were born on February 11 and have been secluded in a den with their mother since then to avoid any external stress and allow proper bonding.
The mother, “Serai,” was born on May of 2011 at the Smithsonian’s Conservation and Research Center in Virginia and the father, named “Rajasi,” was born in March of 2011 at the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee. This is the second successful litter for both parents. Zoo staff was able to separate the mother from her kittens to do an initial neonatal exam on February 26 in order to evaluate the condition of the kittens and accurately determine their sexes. It was confirmed at that time that the litter consisted of one male and one female. Since that time, the kittens have continued to develop well while remaining in seclusion with their mother.
Clouded Leopards are highly endangered and live in a natural forest habitat in Southern China, Malaysia and Taiwan. Adults weigh 30-50 pounds. They have a very long tail with relatively short legs and large paws, which helps them stay in trees. Their numbers are depleted due to hunting.
