The Nashville Zoo in Tennessee is celebrating the birth of a new clouded leopard calf (Neofelis nebula). The puppy named Mayuree marks a major milestone for one of the world’s rarest cat species.

Clouded leopards are secretive wild cats that inhabit the rainforests and forests of Southeast Asia. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies them as vulnerable and their already small numbers are at risk due to poaching, the illegal pet trade and the loss and fragmentation of their habitat due to deforestation. Between 2000 and 2018, their habitats decreased by approximately 34 percent.

Due to its elusive nature, the species is difficult to observe in the wild. Much of what scientists know about the wild cat comes from observations in captivity, but it has also proven difficult to breed due to this limited scientific knowledge, according to the Nashville Zoo. Despite these challenges, Mayuree is the 51st cub born at the Nashville Zoo since 1991, and the fourth cub born to parents Niran and Ron.

“Clouded leopard reproduction and raising their cubs is notoriously challenging, with high rates of predation or parental neglect, so cubs are often hand-raised,” Heather Schwartz, director of Veterinary Services at Nashville Zoo, said in a statement announcing Mayuree’s birth. “But because Niran is doing a wonderful job looking after Mayuree, we have been able to co-parent a clouded leopard cub until it is weaned for the first time in the zoo’s history.”

Mayuree’s birth marks the first time the Nashville Zoo has co-reared a cub, a method in which a mother raises her cubs with the support of human care. According to the zoo, co-parenting combines the benefits of maternal parenting with the advantages of early human socialization. Puppies are sensitive to auditory and visual disturbances, so this process acclimates them to human handling and makes it easier for them to handle future veterinary exams, breeding management, and breeding practices.

The adorable pup is currently the size of a loaf of bread and measures just over two pounds. Niran will continue to raise Mayuree until she is weaned. She will then be placed with a playmate, as pairing at a young age reduces aggression and makes it easier to reproduce later. It will be on view to the cat-loving public at a later date.

“We are excited to progress our care techniques and studies with clouded leopards with this new birth and excited to be able to increase the population of threatened clouded leopards,” added Schwartz.

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