The Nashville Zoo in Tennessee is celebrating the birth of a new baby clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). The female cub named Mayuree, marks a major milestone for one of the rarest cat species in the world.
Clouded leopards are secretive wild cats that dwell in the rainforests and woodlands of Southeast Asia. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies them as vulnerable, and their already small numbers at risk due to poaching, the illegal pet trade, and habitat loss and fragmentation from deforestation. Between 2000 and 2018, their habitat strongholds declined by about 34 percent.
Due to its elusive nature, the species is difficult to observe in the wild. Much of what scientists know about the wild cat comes from observations in captivity, but they’ve also proven to be difficult to breed because of this limited scientific knowledge, according to the Nashville Zoo. Despite these challenges, Mayuree is the 51st cub to be born at the Nashville Zoo since 1991, and the fourth cub to be born to parents Niran and Ron.
“Clouded leopard reproduction and cub rearing are notoriously challenging, with high rates of parental predation or neglect, so cubs are frequently hand-reared,” Heather Schwartz, Nashville Zoo’s Director of Veterinary Services, said in a statement announcing Mayuree’s birth. “But because Niran is doing a wonderful job caring for Mayuree, we have been able to co-rear a clouded leopard cub until they are weaned for the first time in Zoo history.”
Mayuree’s birth marks the first time the Nashville Zoo has co-reared a cub, a method where a mother raises its young with human caregiving support. According to the Zoo, co-rearing combines the benefits of maternal rearing, with the advantages of early human socialization. The cubs are sensitive to auditory and visual disturbances, so this process acclimates them to human handling and makes future veterinary exams, breeding management, and husbandry practices easier for them to handle.
The adorable cub is currently the size of a loaf of bread and measures just over two pounds. Niran will continue to raise Mayuree until she is weaned. She’ll then be placed with a playmate, as pairing at an early age reduces aggression and makes breeding easier later on. She will be on view for the cat-loving public at a later date.
“We are excited to progress in our care techniques and studies with clouded leopards with this new birth and thrilled to be able to increase the population of threatened clouded leopards,” Schwartz added.
