The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere just made history with the birth of a rare clouded leopard cub.
The little cutie is the first to be born via an artificial insemination procedure, and marks a huge step forward for global conservation efforts.
[The procedure was done in cooperation with the Smithsonianโs National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.]
โThis is an enormous accomplishment for both Nashville Zoo and the team at the Smithsonian,โ said Heather Robertson, director of veterinary services at the zoo. โIt means we can collect and preserve semen from clouded leopard populations around the globe and improve pregnancy outcomes from (artificial insemination) procedures in this species.โ
The cub will stay at Nashville Zoo, with plans to introduce him [someday] to a potential mate.