Rare baby Clouded Leopards born in Paris' main zoo were presented yesterday for the first time, boosting hopes that the at-risk species could be saved.
Born on 14 May, the leopards, known in French as 'nebulous leopards', were proudly presented by officials at the Jardin des Plantes, part of the French capital's Natural History Museum.
Deputy Chief Curator Mathieu Dorval said: 'When they are born, the nebulous panthers are small. But adults can weigh up to eight to nine kilos. When it's born, it's the size of a small cat. They weigh several hundred grams. These ones are
about two months old and weigh one kilo.
'They are small animals that are playing a lot. But they're also very fragile. That's why the mother keeps them in a box,' said Mr Dorval, who cares for the babies.
'When they reach two months, the little ones start coming out, start playing, they play a lot. They already have their leopard character.
'Let's not forget that they are leopards, wild animals, they are not domestic cats, so you can't play with them, you can't stroke them, their teeth are already quite big and they already have appetite for meat,' Mr Dorval warned.
The two females are called Pati and Jaya - less of a mouthful than their scientific name: Neofelis nebulosa.
They were born to a female who came from a British zoo and a father who arrived from Prague in 2007.
Officials say that only 10,000 individuals are known to exist in the wild and only 40 are held in captivity throughout Europe's zoos.
The red-listed species is considered at risk, endanger of extinction and extremely difficult to breed in captivity.
Mr Dorval added: 'Here, we are the only ones in France who manage to get them to reproduce, so it's quite exceptional.'
