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Management and Captive Breeding

Developing a Successful Clouded Leopard Breeding Program in Thailand

Clouded leopards are among the most charisimatic and least understood of Thailand's many cat species. Little is know about the behavior and status of these shy and elusive creatures. However, extensive habitat loss is threatening their survival in the wild.

In 2003, there were 24 clouded leopards in a consortium that included the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, the Nashville Zoo, the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, and the Clouded Leopard Species Survival Plan. But breeding clouded leopards in captivity is challenging. Katharine Pelican and JoGayle Howard of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, and Nadja Wielebnowski of the Brookfield Zoo used CEF funding to analyze reproductive steroid hormones found in the feces of clouded leopards. The resulting database will by used in management strategies not only for clouded leopards, but for breeding carnivores worldwide.