ZooBorns

Romping Snow Leopard Kittens

Well technically they're cubs... but the Woodland Park Zoo's newest little Snow Leopards sure look like curious kittens to us. ZooBorns covered these guys when they were tiny back in June but it's only been two months and they still have a lot of growing to do.

Once again, kudos to the Woodland Park Zoo's Ryan Hawk for the great footage and editing.

Adorable ZooBorns Video Round-Up

There's so much going on at zoo nurseries these days we can barely keep up! Enjoy this collection of outstanding videos from Smithsonian National Zoo and Bronx Zoo.

In a 24-hour-period between July 9 and 10, a clouded leopard cub, a Przewalski's horse, and a red panda cub were all born at Smithsonian's National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center

Looks like the Smithsonian National Zoo is gonna need a bigger bird house!

Watch a baby lemur grow from a sleepy eyed infant into a bouncing teen (in lemur years) at the Bronx Zoo

Looking Fierce!

This "ferocious" young cub was born in May at Utah's Hogle Zoo but just recently debuted to the public. Critically endangered in their native home of the Himalayas and other Central Asian mountain ranges, snow leopards are bred at zoos across the country as part of the AZA's Species Survival Plan. 

Looking less fierce

Photo credits (bottom two pictures): Bill Warden

Timid Leopard Cub Debuts at Tierpark Berlin

Thanks to @g_gila for tipping us off on this Snow Leopard Cub introduced at Tierpark Berlin on the 13th of July. Any German translations out there?

Trifecta of cute at the Smithsonian Zoo

Red panda cub + clouded leopard cub + Przewalski’s horse foal = hat trick for the Smithsonian National Zoo!

Another Leopard Cub for the Smithsonian!

Jao Chu (JOW-chew), a 3-year-old endangered clouded leopard at the Smithsonian National Zoo, gave birth to a cub at 5:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Staff had been on a pregnancy watch for several days. Mother and cub are doing well. The cub’s sex will not be confirmed for about one week.

Tiny head... not so tiny claws!

The birth represents the second time Jao Chu and 3-year-old Hannibal have produced offspring. Jao Chu gave birth to two male cubs March 24—Sa Ming (SAH-meeng), “brave warrior,” and Ta Moon (TAH-moon), “mischievous child.” Lots more photos after the jump.

Cautious Cubs Chirp Like Birds

The title pretty much says it all. New video of the adorable snow leopard cubs at the Woodland Park Zoo.


Thanks to Ryan Hawk

And now for the world's cutest kittens...

At this exact moment, the Nashville Zoo's Clouded Leopard cubs hold the title for cutest kittens on the planet. These face-meltingly-adorable pictures taken earlier today seal the deal.

See and learn more about the little guys in this post from earlier this week.

Tiny Clouded Leopard Triplets at the Nashville Zoo

With beautiful distinctively marked coats, Clouded Leopards are frequent targets for poachers who sell their pelts. These tiny cubs (only 1/2 lb. each!) born May 30th at the Nashville Zoo add genetic variety to the captive population that may some day enable reintroduction programs to bolster threatened wild populations. 

Photos Courtesy of the Nashville Zoo

This is the first litter of cubs for parents Jing Jai and Arun. The cubs are expected to open their eyes any day now, whereupon we hope to have more photos to share!

Little Cats, Big Appetites

The eight-week-old clouded leopard cubs born at the Smithsonian National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center (CRC) are now eating solid food in addition to formula. Their diet includes 8 grams of cooked chopped chicken, three times per day.

The cubs are growing at a steady and healthy rate—the larger cub weighs 3 lb. and 3.5 oz. and the smaller cub weighs 2 lb. and 12 oz. Additionally, the cubs now ‘chuff’, which can be described as a puffing sound and is considered a sign of recognition. The length of their play sessions has increased and they interact more with their caregivers.