The stork had a very busy day on July 9, 2009. Three endangered species gave birth within a 24 hour period at the Smithsonian National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center (CRC).
Clouded Leopard
In the evening of July 9th, Jao Chu gave birth to a female clouded leopard cub, her second litter this year. Both mama and baby are doing well. In March, Jao Chu gave birth to two male cubs with the same father, Hannibal. In order to help with socialization and reduce the risk of infant mortality, the newborn cub will be hand-reared by experienced staff.
When full-grown, the cats weigh between 30 and 50 pounds and are about five feet long. Their long tail, which helps with balancing, is about half the length of their body. Native to Southeast Asia and China, clouded leopards are vulnerable to extinction due to hunting and deforestation. While breeding of the clouded leopard in captivity has been challenging, more than 70 clouded leopards have been born at the Virginia facility since 1978.
Przewalski Horse
Brandy, a Przewalski horse, gave birth to a foal. Until 2008, the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species listed the horse as extinct due to loss of habitat, hunting and climate.
Today, Prezewalski horses, Equus ferus przewalskii, are critically endangered. It is estimated that there are approximately 1,500 Przewalski horses today with only a few hundred living in protected areas in China and Mongolia. Never been tamed for riding, these horses are believed to be the last of the wild horses.
Red Panda
For the fifth time in a matter of weeks, a red panda was born at the facility. Early in the morning, keepers found a new cub in mama Payna’s nesting box.
Red pandas resemble raccoons, with their reddish-brown tear marks on their faces and beautiful red coats. Due to habitat loss, less than 2,500 endangered red pandas are left in the wild today.
None of the newborns will be on exhibit at the CRC. Located on 3,200 acres in Front Royal, Virginia, the CRC is a non-public center “devoted to training wildlife professionals in conservation biology and to propagating rare species through natural means and assisted reproduction.”
Visit the Smithsonian National Zoo for more information.
Credits:
Clouded leopard image by Cliff1066 on Flickr under under a Creative Commons license.
Przewalski horse image by Pawel Ryszawa on Wikipedia under a Creative Commons license.
Red panda image by Harlequeen on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.
THis website is awesome!!