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Clouded Leopards and Libraries

The Libraries was represented at this year’s Autumn Conservation Festival at the National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center (CRC) in Front Royal, Virginia. It is the only time each year that the CRC is open to the public.  The event took place in beautiful weather over last weekend, October 3-4. Polly Lasker, Librarian, National Zoological Park Library, manned the tent & table.


Polly Lasker in the Libraries tent

Polly Lasker in the Libraries tent

The highlight of the weekend was seeing the clouded leopard cubs that were born in March playfully romping for the visitors:

Clouded Leopard Cubs 2

Clouded Leopard Cubs 3

Breeding clouded leopards in captivity has been a challenge the world over, primarily due to male aggression, decreased breeding activity between paired animals, and high cub mortality. The National Zoo has been working in partnership with the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, the Nashville Zoo and the Clouded Leopard Species Survival Plan to develop a clouded leopard breeding program in Thai zoos (largest population of confiscated clouded leopards in Southeast Asia). Check out the Fact Sheet on clouded leopards.

Jim Haug from the Anthropology Library came out to help on the second day. Thank you, Jim!—Polly Lasker

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