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| Riki-San, San Diego Zoo's Cloud Leopard |
FUZZY & WUZZY--Guest Blog by San Diego Zoo--Named for its cloud-like spots, the male clouded leopard can weigh up to 50 pounds. This cat is found mostly in the Southeast Asian rain forest and is an excellent swimmer and climber. In fact, the clouded leopard and the margay from South America are the only cat species that can climb down a tree head first, thanks to the flexibility of the ankle joints.
Thirteen-pound Riki-san (right and above) is the larger of the two cats but is also the more timid one. His coat pattern is darker and his rosettes more pronounced. According to zookeepers, Haui-san, at 11.5 pounds, is feisty and quite playful, enticing his bigger brother to wrestle and play a game of chase.
Thirteen-pound Riki-san (right and above) is the larger of the two cats but is also the more timid one. His coat pattern is darker and his rosettes more pronounced. According to zookeepers, Haui-san, at 11.5 pounds, is feisty and quite playful, enticing his bigger brother to wrestle and play a game of chase.
Brothers Riki-san and
Haui-san will spend 30 days in quarantine, where they are visible to the public
daily and have already become guest favorites. After this quarantine period,
the cubs will join the Zoo’s Backstage Pass animal ambassador program.
The cubs arrived earlier
this week from the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, where a very successful breeding
program has helped to increase the population of this critically endangered
specie
Photos: Zoological Society of San Diego. Copyright 2012.
Photos: Zoological Society of San Diego. Copyright 2012.
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