NAPLES, Fla. -- A Southwest Florida zoo is excited to share that the two-week-old endangered clouded leopard kittens have opened their eyes and they now have names.
According to Naples Zoo, the adorable kittens are curious about the world around them and they have beautiful blue eyes.
The kittens have been named Jean and Janet. The names were selected for an anonymous donor that supported the clouded leopard exhibit and the Glass Animal Hospital.
Clouded leopards are listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the United States Endangered Species Act. The species is under significant pressure in the wild from human encroachment and destruction of its habitat, as well as poaching. The cats, which live in the forests and trees of Southeast Asia, are elusive, and it’s difficult to know how many remain in the wild.
The mother and father of the kittens were specifically matched by the Species Survival Plan based on their ancestry, to create the greatest genetic diversity in the population over the next century. The clouded leopards, Tika and Masala, arrived in September of 2016 from two different facilities to contribute to the future of their species.
