Clouded Leopards

We checked out of Khao Yai National Park at 7:00 this morning and drove south for three hours to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo where the clouded leopard captive breeding program is located.  After seeing the "cloudies", we spent a few hours in the zoo touring the exhibits.

Bill Wood is the director of the clouded leopard captive breeding program.  He gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and explained their problems and successes.

They also work with the endangered fishing cat, which is native to Thailand. Removal of mangroves to establish more shrimp ponds is destroying their natural habitat.

Bill Wood talking to our students outside the big enclosures.  These cages are very tall which works well for the clouded leopards since they are arboreal (live in trees).  The enclosures were originally designed for hornbills.

The spectacular clouded leopard also is endangered.  Since it is the next largest cat in SE Asia to tigers, it's the next most lucrative species on the illegal trade market.

Some of the students rented golf carts to get around the zoo a little more quickly.  Here are Dana, Sara, Maggie, and Alysa.

Carlie and Hally taking a selfie with a giraffe.

Carlie giving a banana to a rhino.