New-born Clouded Leopard Cub at Nashville Zoo will be Hand-reared

Summary:

NASHVILLE, TN – A rare clouded leopard cub was born on July 18, the Nashville Zoo announced on Instagram on Aug 4. The female cub is the 45th cub born at the zoo since 1991. She is “currently the size of a teddy bear,” weighing just 1 lb. Due to the vulnerable status of the clouded leopard species, the zoo said the cub will be hand-reared.

“Since the clouded leopard population is in steep decline, her survival is critical. Following the AZA [Association of Zoos & Aquariums] Species Survival Plan (SSP)’s recommendation, we’ve elected to hand-rear her,” the zoo said, inviting visitors to “watch her grow up through the windows” of its HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center. The zoo explained in a press release that hand-rearing “prevents parental predation or neglect, which is common for clouded leopards, and allows this normally nervous species to become acclimated to the sights and sounds of human interaction typical in an exhibit environment.”

The zoo also announced in its post that it recently welcomed a 10-week-old brother-sister clouded leopard pair from the Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas, per the AZA’s SSP recommendation. Clouded leopards are difficult to breed in captivity as they “are sensitive to auditory and visual disturbances, increasing the stress levels during captive breeding programs,” the zoo said, noting that it works with artificial insemination specialists to “increase the size and diversity” of the captive-bred population.

Action take by Born Free USA:

Notes: