National Zoo Celebrates Birth of Rare Clouded Leopards

Notoriously difficult to breed, two new clouded leopards are born at the National Zoo’s research facility

Rarely has a birth been so anticipated, or the wait so suspenseful. On March 24, for the first time in 16 years, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center celebrated the birth of clouded leopard cubs.

The smallest of the big cats, clouded leopards weigh just 30 to 50 pounds and are about five feet long—although approximately half of that is tail. Their short legs, long tails and oversized paws help them balance on small branches, and their flexible ankles allow them to run down trees headfirst. The cloud-like pattern of their coats gives them their name, and helps them disappear into the shadows of the forest.