MIAMI — Leopards are natural-born predators, but a pair of newborn cloud kittens recently shown off by Zoo Miami will slay you with cuteness.
The South Florida zoo, which has been closed to the public since March 19 because of the coronavirus pandemic, shared photographs of the male and female cloud leopard kittens Tuesday, WPLG reported.
The kittens were born Feb. 11 and have been secluded with their mother, Serai, so they could properly bond, zoo officials said in a news release.
Zoo Miami is excited to announce the successful births of highly endangered clouded leopards. The two kittens were born on February 11th and have been secluded in a den with their mother since then to avoid any external stress and allow proper bonding. 📸:@RonMagill pic.twitter.com/R4yhDe6dlc
— Zoo Miami (@zoomiami) April 7, 2020
Serai was born in May 2011 at the Smithsonian’s Conservation and Research Center in Virginia, WFOR reported. The father of the kittens, Rajasi, was born in March 2011 at the Nashville Zoo, the television station reported. It is the second successful litter for both parents.
“Both offspring appear to be thriving and the mother continues to be attentive and nursing them on a regular basis," Zoo Miami said in a news release. "With the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent revelation that a tiger had contracted the disease at another zoological facility, extra care is being taken by all staff working around these kittens.
“New procedures include stepping into disinfecting footbaths prior to entering any feline area as well as using masks and gloves while working in those areas.”
Ron Magill, the zoo’s communications director, shared the images of the kittens.
“Amid all of the stressful news that we are all dealing with, I hope that this can bring a smile to some of your faces," Magill said in a statement. "Hopefully, once this pandemic has run its course, the public will be able to return to the zoo to personally see these precious new additions!”
Cox Media Group
