Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo has welcomed a pair of endangered clouded leopard cubs to the Asian Gardens exhibit area. The 6-month-old felines, a male and female, were born in March in separatelitters at Nashville Zoo and Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
l of just 69 clouded leopards in 24 North American AZA-accredited institutions.
Clouded leopards are native to Southeast Asia, found in forests and rainforests. They are known for being skilled climbers and can even ha
ng from tree branches by their hind feet. Another distinctive feature of clouded leopards is their long canine teeth, which are longer in proportion to body size than those of any other wild cat species.
Interestingly, clouded leopards are not a “type” of leopard as their name implies, but are a separate species of wild cat, as is the snow leopard and leopard. The name clouded leopard is derived from the beautiful cloud-shaped spots with dark outlines on their tan coats.
The charismatic cubs weighed only about a half pound each at birth, and were hand-raised together by zoo keepers of the two AZA-accredited institutions. Clouded leopards are the smallest of the “big cats,” weighing 30-50 pounds in adulthood and measuring about five feet long (including the long tail).
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo has been a member of the clouded leopard SSP for nearly a decade. The former familiar residents, two female felines named Maddie and Tenchi, recently relocated to the Denver Zoo for their golden years. The Zoo has also supported a conservation research program known as Wild
Aid – the Thailand Carnivore Project, a non-invasive study of Thailand’s wild cats including the clouded leopard.
About Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to excellence in education, conservation and research. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and has been named the No. 1 zoo in America by both Parents magazine (2009) and Child magazine (2004). The Zoo is located at 1101 W. Sligh Avenue in Tampa, one mile west of I-275 (exit 48) and is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with extended hours on select nights during special events. Zoo daytime admission prices are: adult - $23.95, seniors (60+) - $21.95, children ages 3-11 - $18.95, and children 2 and under are free. Daytime admission is value-priced to include unlimited amusement rides. Parking is free. For more information, visit LowryParkZoo.com.
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