Animal Fact Guide's Wildlife Blog » cubs

Three Clouded Leopards Born at Nashville Zoo

Animal Fact Guide — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:16:41 +0000

This month marked another significant step in the conservation of clouded leopards. Three cubs were born to parents Jing Jai and Arun at the Nashville Zoo. As mentioned in a previous post where two clouded leopard cubs were born at the National Zoo, breeding these wildcats in captivity has proven difficult. Many times the male leopard will kill the female or the female will kill her cubs. So the birth of three cubs is a momentus occasion.

Clouded leopards are endangered in the wild (southeast Asia) due to hunting.

For more info: Tennessean.com

Rare Clouded Leopard Cubs Born

Animal Fact Guide — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:19:01 +0000

Against all odds, two clouded leopard cubs were born at the National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in Virginia.

In captivity, these endangered leopards usually give in to murderous tendencies during the breeding process. Either the male will kill the female when placed together to mate, or if mating is successful, the mother leopard will kill her cubs accidentally or intentionally.

But yesterday, caretakers discovered the two cubs with Jao Chu, the mother leopard. The babies will be hand raised by zookeepers to guarantee their safety and survival.

In the wild, clouded leopards are native to southeast Asia. Their population has dwindled due to hunting for their pelts.

For more information, see: Washington Post

Baby Bornean Sun Bears Debut at San Diego Zoo

Animal Fact Guide — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:05:56 +0000

Photo: AP Photo/San Diego Zoo, Tammy Spratt

Baby Bornean sun bears Palu and Pagi were born at the San Diego Zoo on October 25. They debuted at the San Diego Zoo exhibit on Monday.

This is the third birth of Bornean sun bears in North America. Bornean sun bears are the smallest species of bear. Their small stature and long claws make the bears well-suited to living in trees. Due to habitat loss, poaching, and pet trade, Bornean sun bears are endangered in the wild.

For more info:
Associated Press
San Diego Zoo’s Sun Bear Cubs Video
San Diego Zoo’s Bornean Sun Bear Page

White Lion Cubs Born at Belgrade Zoo

Animal Fact Guide — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:22:39 +0000

Two white lion cubs were recently born at Belgrade Zoo in Serbia. The two cubs, whose mother shares their distinct coloration and whose father is regularly-colored, are the first white lions born at the Belgrade Zoo.

White lions are neither albinos nor a separate species from other lions, though they are rare. Unique to South Africa in the wild, white lions are often sought out by hunters. A 2004 study revealed that only 30 survived in the wild.

For more information: AFP – Two rare white lion cubs born in Belgrade zoo