Nashville Sept 20-21, 2009

Flew home last night from Nashville - a fantastic photographic experience. (Great enclosures and ideal lighting - soft overcast). Once I get the slides from my SLR cameras developed and scanned, I will post some nice animal portraits. But here is a series of snapshots I took with my pocket digital.

Is this where the clouded leopard cubs are exhibited?

Yes - it is one of three enclosures in a row in the petting zoo. Not sure what they usually have in here, the two exhibits to the left have spectacled owl and yellow-billed hornbill (or something like that). The viewing area is actually an area the goats can wander, but thankfully they usually stay at the top in an area people can't enter because the zoo does not allow feeding. I was there my first day from 9am-10am watching the cubs (until they took a nap) and the only time a goat came into the main area is when he saw a small child carelessly dangled a zoo map - which quickly became a goat snack! When the goat (one of the bigger ones) had it all the way in his mouth with nothing left sticking out, the child put his hand in front of its mouth and said "give it back." Needless to say, the goat did not comply.

This enclosure was initially built to exhibit Ming and Mei (the sibling clouded leopard pair who now live on Bamboo Trail) while they were waiting for their 'new home' to be finished - but this was over 6 years ago. Prior to the cubs being shown here in early September, this was being used as an aviary - and housed a pair of toucans.

Really pleased to hear that you enjoyed your visit and that you also 'rank' Nashville so highly. I wholeheartedly agree that if any ZooChat member is in the vicinity they really need to consider visiting - I don't believe that they would be disappointed.

Having visited Nashville 3 times since June, I am already considering a fourth trip. This would only be the second time that I would have seen the clouded leopard cubs but I would like to spend more time with Sita, the female, before she moves on to the CRC in Virginia (probably by the end of the year). As I understand it, the plan is for her to be paired with a young male born there earlier this year and for their young female to come to Nashville to join either Luk or Chet.

Otocolobus said:

Having visited Nashville 3 times since June, I am already considering a fourth trip.

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Four times since June??? And I thought I was a cat fanatic!

There's something very special about the cloudies in Nashville ... I have happily spent day after day with them this year and the cubs are just an added bonus. Previously I'd had to satisfy myself with visits to DC and San Diego but Nashville is THE place to visit clouded leopards in the US!