Denver Zoo Celebrates the Birth of First Clouded Leopard Twin Cubs [VIDEO]

Denver Zoo welcomed the arrival of twin clouded leopard cubs.

The zoo officials at Denver Zoo announced March 14,  the birth of the first clouded leopard cubs to mother Lisu. The unnamed male and female cubs were born in a private stall inside the Toyota Elephant Passage. After the birth, Lisu did not tend to them and the cubs are now being  hand raised by the zoo keepers. The cubs are doing well now and will continue to stay behind-the-scenes until they grow older.

The cubs are currently placed in a separate building and the zoo keepers are following a protocol to feed the cubs. They are on medicines at the moment..

The mother Lisu was born at the Nashville zoo in March 2011 and arrived at the Denver Zoo the same year in November. Her mate Taji was born at the Tacoma, Washington's Point Defiance Zoo in June 2011 and also arrived at the zoo in November. The two leopards were mated on the recommendation of the Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium, which is working to maintain a healthy population and genetic diversity among the zoo animals.

Although called clouded leopards they are not from the same species . They are placed in a separate genus 'Neofelis' meaning new cat due to their unique features. They are the link between big cats like tigers and lions and the small cats like lynx and ocelots. They grow up to two to four feet long and weigh 24-50 pounds. They have cloud shaped dark patches on their tawny coats, which camouflages and protects them from predators.

Mostly found in Southeast Asia in Southern China and parts of Nepal, India and Burma, the clouded leopards live in trees and are classified as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).