Rare clouded leopard makes debut at Syracuse zoo

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Natida made her Syracuse debut on Tuesday under the cover of an artificially created night.

The 2-year-old clouded leopard is getting comfortable in the Rosamond Gifford Zoo's Adaptation of Animals exhibit, an indoor area of the zoo where the lights are dimmed during the daytime hours to allow visitors to see nocturnal animals at their most active.

Native to Southeast Asia, clouded leopards are the smallest of the big cats and named for their unique spot pattern, which resembles clouds. They are only cats that can climb down a tree face-first and prefer tree canopies and rock formations over the forest floor.

Natida came to Syracuse from Nashville, as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a conservation effort among zoos to help ensure the survival of threatened species. Clouded leopards have lost much of their habitat because of human encroachment and have also been poached; there are currently less than 100 clouded leopards in North America.

Read more: www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2016/12/see_smallest_big_cat_rare_clouded_leopard_debuted_at_syracuse_zoo_video.html