2 endangered clouded leopards born at Zoo Miami

Female cubs born March 9

MIAMI ā€“ Zoo Miami is celebrating the birth of two female endangered clouded leopards.

The kittens were born March 9 and have been secluded in a den with their mother, Serai, to avoid any external stress and to allow Serai to bond with her cubs, zoo officials said.

Serai was born in May 2011 at the Smithsonian's Conservation and Research Center in Virgina. The cubs' father, Rajasi, was born in March 2011 at the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee.

Zoo officials said this is the second successful litter for the parents.

Serai and her cubs will remain secluded for the next couple weeks until zoo officials determine they are established and stabled enough to meet with the public.

Clouded leopard have become endangered due to hunting for their pelts, which have ceremonial value in some cultures. They have the longest teeth among wild cats and usually weigh between 30 to 50 pounds as adults.

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