One of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s female clouded leopards is pregnant again – possibly with twins.
The zoo announced Wednesday that Chai Li was expecting her second litter of cubs. She is due in March, and zoo staff members believe she is carrying at least two cubs.
Unlike her first pregnancy with mating partner Nah Fun, which surprised the zoo, this one appeared to be more planned.
“The successful breeding of these endangered cats helps grow the dwindling zoo-based population and spurs efforts to conserve clouded leopards in the wild,” said Karen Goodrowe Beck, the zoo’s general curator.
Chai Li gave birth to her first litter – two healthy cubs – in June. Zoo visitors were able to watch them grow and play in the cub den in the newly built $1 million Cats of the Canopy exhibit. The cubs since have been matched with breeding partners and have left Tacoma for other zoos.
In addition to Chai Li and Nah Fun, the zoo also is home to breeding partners Jao Ying and Chee Witt as well as Raja and Josie. Raja and Josie are older clouded leopards and live behind the scenes at the zoo’s Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater.
Stacey Mulick” stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com
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