Your morning adorable: Clouded leopard cubs make their debut at
Paris zoo Two rare clouded leopard cubs recently made their
debut at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, and their birth is big
news as some zoos work hard to conserve the species, considered
vulnerable to extinction, through captive breeding programs. The
cubs, both female, are named Pati and Jaya. They were born May
14, but the Jardin des Plantes didn't officially announce their
birth to the world until recently. Why now? "After two months,
we believe the situation is stable," zoo spokesman Mathieu
Dorval told Agence France-Presse. "The little panthers are
behaving normally and are putting on weight as expected." They
have two older full siblings who were born at the zoo last year.
Clouded leopards are native to southeastern Asia, where they're
faced with habitat loss, deforestation and poaching for their
impressive pelts. Exactly how many remain in the wild is
unknown, though, because the species has a tendency to be
reclusive and difficult to fi