Nashville Zoo is proud to announce the births of two litters of clouded leopards. On Feb. 13, Lom Choy and her mate Luk welcomed two cubs, one male and one female. On March 11, Jing Jai and her mate Arun also welcomed a male and female pair. Both sets of parents are housed off-exhibit, and the cubs are being hand-reared together. In the coming weeks, a female clouded leopard cub born March 8 at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. will arrive to join Nashville’s four. The Zoo plans to place all five on public exhibit this summer. A specific date will be announced soon.

“Nashville Zoo is one of only three zoos in the United States that is currently breeding these dynamic cats,” said Karen Rice, mammal curator at the Zoo. “These cubs will greatly contribute to the clouded leopard population and breeding efforts at Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions across the country.”

Clouded leopards are considered endangered because of deforestation, poaching and the pet trade. Nashville Zoo is a member of the Thailand Clouded Leopard Consortium, an ongoing collaboration with the National Zoo, Point Defiance Zoo, Clouded Leopard Species Survival Program, Zoological Park Organization of Thailand (ZPO) and HKS Design and Consultants International to develop a multi-faceted clouded leopard conservation program that includes a viable self-sustaining captive population.

Introducing clouded leopards to potential mates is difficult due to the cat’s reclusive disposition. Male clouded leopards are often aggressive and have been known to attack and kill potential female partners. To reduce fatal attacks, cubs are hand-raised and introduced to mates at a young age. Since 2009, 11 cubs have been born at Nashville Zoo’s off-exhibit facility.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. The Zoo is a nonprofit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

Here’s your Nashville Zoo Picture of the Week. Lola and Kari, our female Bactrian camels, mug for the camera inside our Critter Encounters petting zoo. At about a year old, they are roughly 5 feet tall but will grow to more than 7 feet at the humps…of which they each have two.

 

This image was taken by Zoo photographer Christian Sperka (www.sperka.biz).

Sy is a 6-month old cassowary, from the White Oak Conservation Center in Florida, settles in to his new home along Bamboo Trail. As Sy grows, his feathers will eventually turn black and his head will turn shades of blue. Sy will alternate on exhibit with our other male cassowary (an adult).

 

This image was taken by Zoo photographer Christian Sperka (www.sperka.biz).

An 18-month old reticulated giraffe has joined Nashville Zoo’s animal collection. The female giraffe, named Layla, comes to Nashville from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.

“Layla has been a welcome addition to our collection,” said Connie Philipp, director of animal collections at Nashville Zoo. “She is a very spunky and curious. Being hand-raised has made her very interested in what we do all day.”

Layla is Nashville Zoo’s first reticulated giraffe, one of nine different sub-species of giraffe. Nashville Zoo’s other two, a female named Margarita and a male named Congo, are both Masai giraffe. Reticulated giraffe are known for their distinctive skin pattern of bright orange spots separated by cream lines. The pattern provides good camouflage in the dense vegetation of their native Eastern Africa.  It is estimated that fewer than 5,000 remain in the wild.

Layla currently weighs over 590 pounds and stands 9 feet tall, considerably smaller than Margarita who weighs 1,860 pounds and is over 14 feet tall. Zoo guests can see Layla on exhibit with Margarita during sunny days where temperatures remain above 50 degrees. Layla’s introductions to Congo will occur in a few months.

Nashville Zoo’s 1.5 acre Giraffe Savannah opened in April 2006 thanks to generous contributions from Mrs. Maggi Margaret Turner, the Vandewater family and hundreds of supporters who contributed to the  Zoo’s “Stick Your Neck Out” campaign.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. The Zoo is a nonprofit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

Two snowy owls have landed at Nashville Zoo. The pair, one male and one female, came to the Nashville from the Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut and can be seen at on exhibit in the Zoo’s Critter Encounters area.

“Snowy owls are one of the most captivating animals; they have an almost mythological look to them,” said Joe deGraauw, avian curator at Nashville Zoo. “In the winter, we are usually making amends to keep birds out of the harsh temperatures, but these birds relish it. Their preference of much cooler weather means you can see them on exhibit when other animals may have limited access.”

Snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus) are native to the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. Males are almost completely white, and females are largely white with brown and black markings. Unlike other owl species, snowy owls is diurnal and are most active during the daytime. Guests can learn more about snowy owls by attending keeper talks offered throughout the week. Keeper Talk information can be found on the Zoo’s website at www.nashvillezoo.org.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. The Zoo is a nonprofit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Road and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.