Clouded leopard

Josie is not only our oldest clouded leopard, she’s the oldest in North America! Born in 1998, she’s a super-senior, and lives behind the scenes at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater.

But you wouldn’t guess her age from how playful she is, say our keepers.

“She loves to roll around in the dirt and get all covered, then wash herself off and lie in the sun,” says senior staff biologist Maureen O’Keefe.

Like a lot of us, Josie is a bit stiff now she’s older, and so Wild Wonders staff have built her special ramps to help her climb up to the high perches and branches that all clouded leopards like to sit on. She’ll chuff at keepers as they walk by, and loves a good shoulder scratch.

Her favorite special treat is vanilla ice cream – but most of all she loves any enrichment that she can rip up and shred apart: coconut husks, lettuce heads.

“She definitely doesn’t act her age!” says O’Keefe.

Orchid and Banyan are sister and brother, born here at the Zoo in 2015. They live together and get along really well. Orchid is smaller and a little shyer, says senior staff biologist Maureen O’Keefe, but when she walks onto the Wild Wonders stage you would never know – she’s a pro at the climbing, balancing and leaping that show off a clouded leopard’s natural wild abilities.

Orchid is great at a couple of other behaviors, say staff, like coming when her bell is rung or sitting with all four feet on a perch to allow keepers to put a leash on her for the show.

But one of her favorite places is up high on the highest platform in her outdoor yard – around 12 feet high – to survey her territory.

Banyan and Orchid are brother and sister, born here at the Zoo in 2015. They live together and get along really well. Banyan is around 20 pounds heavier than his sister, and is super-talkative, says senior staff biologist Maureen O’Keefe.

“He chuffs and whines a lot as we come by,” she says. Since he was hand-raised, he also loves getting scratched behind his ears – a cat favorite.

Like Orchid, Banyan is great at the climbing, balancing and leaping he does in the Wild Wonders show that display a clouded leopard’s natural wild abilities. He’s also good at allowing staff to take a blood sample – really important for keeping animals healthy.

Banyan loves eating fruit whole for an enrichment treat, and is just a little goofy, says staff biologist Jessie Sutherland. But basically, says O’Keefe, he’s just a big sweetheart.

Tien was born here at the Zoo on May 1, 2013. Because he was hand-raised here, he’s really confident with our keepers, chuffing and “talking” with them whenever he sees them.

Like all of our clouded leopards, Tien is on a special diet to keep him healthy, but he does love whipped cream on special occasions! (His favorite? Licking it off the window.)

Jao Ying was born May 30, 2007. She really likes playing with greenery, especially bamboo, says senior staff biologist Shannon Smith.

“She carries green stuff from the outdoor habitat back to her resting room and decorates it,” says Smith.

Nah Fun was born July 15, 2009, and he’s unusually gentle – for a cat.

“Once a baby opossum got into his habitat,” says senior staff biologist Shannon Smith, “and he was grooming it when we found them together in the morning.”

Like the other male clouded leopards in the Asian Forest Sanctuary, Nah Fun likes hanging out by the beam-like log (the girls prefer being near the tree).

Sang Dao was born on May 22, 2015 – one of the youngest of our clouded leopards. At around 33 pounds she’s also the smallest – and quite a character, says staff biologist Andy Goldfarb.

“She doesn’t seem like a typical cloudie,” adds senior staff biologist Shannon Smith. “When she gets excited she runs all over the place.”

Her climbing ability is also pretty unusual, says Smith. All clouded leopards are excellent at this skill, using their long tail for balance and even hanging upside down. But Sang Dao can do it even when there seemingly aren’t any handholds – like an indoor skylight.

“She’s like Spider Man,” Smith says. “And she just loves attention, too.”

Chee Wit was born Feb. 14, 2010 – a Valentine’s Day baby! At around 61 pounds he’s the largest of the clouded leopards, and (unusually) doesn’t like the favorite treats of whipped cream or ice cream. Instead, he just loves his meat.

And he also loves his plastic boomer ball, say staff, playing with it all over his habitat when he gets it.

Chai Li was born July 12, 2009, and is a “very quiet kitty,” according to senior staff biologist Shannon Smith. She is very shy around people she doesn’t know, so usually stays indoors during the day and goes out into the habitat after all Zoo visitors have left.

But like all the clouded leopards, she loves keeper Andy Goldfarb.

“For the rest of us she acts like a statue,” says senior staff biologist Shannon Smith. “But she loves getting head rubs from Andy.”