Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

The zoo has applied to import Clouded Leopards from Thailand.

Applicant: Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, WA, PRT-210142
The applicant requests a permit to import four live, captive-born
clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa) - two males and two females - from
Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Chonburi, Thailand, for the purpose of enhancement
of the species through captive breeding.
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I just found this article online, although it was posted about five months ago. Now there will be someplace besides Nashville to see clouded leopards in a proper environment. Anyone know when this is scheduled to open? Since their sister park (Northwest Trek) is my favorite and I have not been to Woodland Park Zoo since the jaguar exhibit opened, and I am a complete cat fanatic, you can bet I will be booking a flight to SeaTac once this exhibit is done.

Paws to Consider: New Clouded Leopard Exhibit Construction About to Leap Into Action!
 
I plan to visit the Point Defiance Zoo within the next 6 days, and so I can give you an update once I arrive back in Canada. I am going on a mini road trip that includes the Point Defiance Zoo in the State of Washington, and then 4 Oregon attractions: Wildlife Safari, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Seaside Aquarium and Oregon Zoo.
 
I just found a note hidden inside their website that says Cats Of The Canopy will open in Spring 2011. It goes on to state that construction will be complete sometime in 2010, but they want to give the cats time to adjust before exposing them to visitors.

I will be interested in your report, though, to hear how far construction is and if you can get a sense of what it will look like. If they have any diagrams posted near the site, please photograph and post them in the gallery. Thanks.
 
I visited the Point Defiance Zoo today, and there is a massive amount of construction for "Red Wolf Woods". After speaking to a couple of zookeepers there is still no definitive opening date, but the goal is for the exhibit to be open by July. There used to be two large chainlink fence enclosures for the wolf packs but those have been completely demolished (the wolves are currently being held off exhibit), and the new enclosure(s) will be much larger and allow for better viewing opportunities for visitors.

There is a sign up for "Cats of the Canopy", which still has a spring 2011 opening date. One keeper told me that the cats will definitely be imported from Thailand, and she was crossing her fingers that they will arrive this summer. There are tentative plans to house the leopards in the "Asian Forest Sanctuary" dayroom in July or August, or perhaps even to include them in the rotation scheme within that area of the zoo. However, nothing is set in stone other than the fact that the clouded leopards should be arriving in 2010 and their exhibit will not be completed until 2011. There is a large banner announcing the impending addition to the zoo, and it is directly across from the elephant barn in the "Asian Forest Sanctuary" zone so it would make sense that the cats would be housed in that part of the zoo.
 
The zoo now has 3 new clouded leopards, with the young pair of 9-month year-olds on exhibit in the day room within the Asian Sanctuary zone of the zoo. Their current home is temporary. A $1 million “Cats of the Canopy” exhibit, funded by the Zoo Society, is expected to open in spring 2011. The lush, tree-filled area also will have space for two breeding pairs.

Lots of info:

Zoo’s new cats big on charm - Local Highlight Story - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington
 
If it turns out as good as it looks on the plans, it could give Nashville some competition for best clouded leopard exhibit.
 
Great find. Especially interesting is their desire to start a walrus consortium for long-term maintenance of the captive population.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Great find. Especially interesting is their desire to start a walrus consortium for long-term maintenance of the captive population.
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They've never been able to breed their walruses, and E.T. the male must be around 30 years of age. The idea of bringing Indian rhinos into the zoo to replace the aging elephants is a smart choice, as is the prospect of constructing a new North Aquarium (the zoo has 2 aquariums) as that structure is definitely outdated and in need of maintenance.

In related news, "The Scoop on Poop" exhibit opens on May 21st. I saw a similar temporary exhibit at the Cleveland Zoo (perhaps its the same one):

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
 
Within the next few weeks there will be baby clouded leopards at Point Defiance Zoo. There are already 6 clouded leopards at the zoo, the new "Cats of the Canopy" exhibit opens this summer, and there are only 2 other zoos in North America (Nashville and National) that breed these cats:

Clouded leopards spring one on keepers | Tacoma - The News Tribune
 
snowleopard said:
...and there are only 2 other zoos in North America (Nashville and National) that breed these cats:
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Correction: There are only two other AZA accredited zoos that breed them. The ZAA accredited Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas breeds them and had been doing so before Nashville and National had success.
 
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