MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Zoo is welcoming two clouded leopards to its family.
The pair of female leopards, named Kamala (age 4) and Rajani (age 10), will be on exhibit in one of the CHINA dayrooms.
Zookeepers have added a frosted effect to the glass in the dayroom because this will be the first time these leopards have seen glass as part of their exhibit. They said they have installed perching areas and hammocks for the cats.
The leopards are named from their distinctive ‘cloud’ pattern and predate many other modern cats. While they may be petite, the females at just over 30 pounds, the zoo said they are ‘big cats’ due to their fused hyoid bone which makes them unable to purr. They can open their mouths 100-degrees and can climb, even hanging upside down from trees to descend headfirst.
Clouded leopards are endangered due to poaching and the loss of their habitats.
The Memphis Zoo said it worked with the Nashville Zoo to identify the two leopards that would do well in the exhibit. They said they want to showcase some of the popular but less known Asian species in the CHINA exhibit, including Sulawesi macaques, red pandas, Pere David deer, and several bird species including waterfowl, laughing thrush, magpies, and pheasants.
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