June 5, 2015 · Exit133

Friday Cuteness: Quadruplet Clouded Leopard Cubs

Here's a bit of cuteness for your Friday... three-week-old baby clouded leopard quadruplets at the Point Defiance Zoo.

If you want to catch the cuteness in person, the cubs, born on May 12 will be available for public viewing three times a day during their 9:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. feeding times. at the zoo's ... starting today.

Clouded leopards are a rare, endangered species. No one knows how many of the elusive cats exist in the wild, but their numbers are shrinking due to poaching and loss of habitat, largely for palm oil trees. Fewer than 100 live in North American zoos - 15 of those born at Point Defiance. Counting this litter, 11 of the leopards live at Tacoma's zoo currently.

The four cubs don't have names yet, and we don't know their genders - those details will be released next week. They will be hand-reared by zookeepers - their mother nursed them for a little more than a day before indicating that she would no longer be caring for them.

Poor little guys. But they sure are cute...