WASHINGTON — The Smithsonian National Zoo has an illustrious history of housing all sorts of animals, and on September 11 they will be adding two more: Paiton and Jillian, two rare clouded leopard cubs.
The pair were originally born at the Nashville Zoo before getting a permanent home at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. They are not from the same parents and won't be involved in the zoo's breeding program, but will be making D.C. their official home.
Those wishing to view the babies are in luck -- the cubs will be able to be seen at the zoo's Asia Trail starting this Wednesday.
Paitoon and Jillian will only be on exhibit from 10:30 a.m. -- 11:30 a.m. as they get acclimated to their new environment, but Smithsonian officials say the hours will grow longer the more they adapt.
“The cubs are extremely curious and precocious; they have been exploring and investigating every nook-and-cranny of their new home,” Michael Brown-Palsgrove, curator of the Zoo's Asia Trail, said.
Watch a live stream of the playful cubs a day before their big debut:
