It’s with an extremely heavy heart I have to let everyone know, that the beautiful clouded leopard cub born at the Nashville Zoo passed away from intestinal bleeding on Friday. The cub was born on February 25th, and was from the third litter of a mated pair.
The Nashville Zoo President and CEO Rick Schwartz, released the following statement after the cubs passing on Friday.
“This cub represented a proud achievement for us and a hopeful future for her species. She captured the hearts of millions of people, and we are absolutely devastated.”
Pictures from the Nashville Zoo
My sincere condolences to the mama and papa, and the staff at the Nashville Zoo…
Recently, two leopards, one a snow leopard and the other a clouded leopard, have captured the hearts of many, including myself, each representing their fragile balance of life in the animal kingdom.
At the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a young snow leopard named Mera tragically passed away at just nine months old.
Mera had been showing signs of pain, prompting the zoo’s team to conduct a series of Medical tests. Unfortunately, exploratory surgery was needed in which they found severe abnormalities in her urinary system, which could not be surgically repaired. They made the heartbreaking decision to humanely euthanize her.
But hope still holds as the world watches the Nashville Zoo who recently celebrated the birth of a rare clouded leopard cub. Born on February 25th, this tiny feline is the 44th clouded leopard born at the zoo since 1991.
The cub, described is being Hand-reared to ensure its survival by a senior member of their veterinary team. A practice that has proved much success for breeding the leopards in their care.
You can vote to name this amazing little leopard here.
Although they are both leopards they are not the same. Snow leopards, often called the “ghosts of the mountains,” inhabit the rugged terrains of Central and South Asia. These leopards thrive at altitudes as high as 18,000 feet and are more closely related to lions, tigers and other leopards, whereas the cloud leopards, that dwell in the cloud forests of Southeast Asia (and are one of the most ancient cat species), are considered their own genus.
Both snow leopards and clouded leopards face significant threats in the wild. From both deforestation and hunting. And are considered vulnerable and rapidly heading towards extinction. These zoos above and others are stepping in to ensure their survival. I pray for both these species and all the others humanity continues to endanger…
Here’s a link to watch the beautiful clouded leopard at the Nashville Zoo..
“In the 1990s, a strange creature emerged from the Brazilian Amazon Basin. Known as the Holadeira, or “sawtooth dolphin,” this cryptid was reportedly spotted by local and named the Holadeira and it even captured the attention of adventurers like Jeremy Wade.
Wade reportedly first saw the animal in 1994 about 100′ away from his boat while fishing. With its notched dorsal fin and elusive nature, some believe it was a unique species, while others think it might have been an injured Amazon river dolphin.
Wade, after witnessing it again and being able to photograph it on his second expedition out there, confirmed it was a dolphin, perhaps mutilated by fisherman…
I was reminded of this little legend on Reddit , if you’d like to keep up with the conversation on it over there here is the link…
Sasysquatchgirl 