The Cutest Clouded Leopard Cub is Being Raised at Nashville Zoo

Nashville Zoo have stepped up to care for a clouded leopard cub born on July 18 at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The cub will be raised by the expert keepers at Nashville and eventually be introduced to a mate as part of the conservation efforts for this threatened species.

“We’ve been breeding and raising these cats since 1991 and have learned a lot about this process,” said Dr. Heather Schwartz, the Zoo’s Director of Veterinary Services. “We hand rear our cubs because it allows this normally nervous species to become acclimated to the sights and sounds of human interaction, typical in an exhibit environment." The cub will stay in the Zoo’s Veterinary Center nursery until he is old enough to be moved to a lager habitat on the Zoo’s property where he will eventually be introduced to a suitable mate.

"Clouded leopard males can be very aggressive when they are introduced to females," says Nashville Zoo President and CEO Rick Schwartz. "This can cause serious, even lethal injury to the females. Hand rearing this species lowers aggression and increases the chance of successful mating." As a result of Nashville Zoo's knowledge on clouded leopards, the AZA's SSP now recommends hand rearing for all cubs of this species.

The cub is currently on display in the zoo's HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center.

Clouded leopards are native to southeast Asia where their numbers may now be as low as 10,000. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list the species as vulnerable to extinction. They have been threatened by deforestation, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

The zoo is also currently caring for a banded palm civet kit. Find that story here - Banded Palm Civet Being Raised at Nashville Zoo