Two baby female panthers, Pati and Jaya, have been born at the zoo in the Jardin des Plantes, and you can go and see the cute balls of fluff!

photo : Jardin des Plantes - F-G Grandin

They look sweet right now, but wait a few years and they could do you quite a bit of harm with their sharp claws! The clouded panther babies were born 14th May this year, but the zoo waited to make sure they were in good health before making an announcement.

It is believed that there are only 10.000 clouded panthers left in the world, as their coats are in high demand on the black market, despite being a protected species. They are also surprising vulnreable when on the ground in their native habitat, the humid forests of southeast Asia.

It’s the second time in as many years that the parents have given birth at the Jardin des Plantes, and the two kids will be staying there for the next five or six years before moving on to another European zoo. In the meantime, you can go and see them, preferably in the afternoon when they are most active.

And for the French-speakers amongst you, here’s a little film that tells you a bit more about the birth.

Vidéo by Le Parisien.

The zoo in the Jardin des Plantes (here) is open every day from 9am – 6pm (6.30pm Sundays and public holidays). Admission 8€. Free for under 4s.

Official site: www.mnhn.fr