Can someone tell me how to steal him?

On Tuesday, this irresistible baby and his or her sibling (the cubs haven’t been sexed yet) were born at the National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia.  It’s great to see because clouded leopards, which are endangered, have been very difficult to breed in captivity and are facing habitat loss and the full parade of problems in the wild.  The parents, Jao Chu and Hannibal, were obtained from Thailand and are unrelated to any clouded leopards in zoos in the United States, making those cubs especially valuable from a genetic standpoint.

The best part?  The cubs won’t be on exhibit at the main zoo in DC, at least for the time being, but video of the cubs being bottle fed (why is this not my job?) and other cuddly animal porn is available here.  Dare we hope for a baby leopard cam?

Are you SURE I'm a red snapper?

Like most foodies, I LOVE seafood.  What’s not to love?  But I recently read a great article in Conservation (which is, incidentally, a terrific magazine), entitled “Impostor Fish” that suggests that we should all wonder what we’re really eating when we order a pricey plate of fish. The problem?  Mislabeling of fish.  Fish are mislabeled as they come in the ports, and mislabeled as they’re sold to the consumers, so that while you may be told you’re buying wild salmon, you may really be buying farmed salmon, and if you buy red snapper?  Heaven only knows what you’re getting.

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North Atlantic Right Whales

I was thrilled to see that this morning’s New York Times had an article with some heartening news about one of the ocean’s most troubled species, the North Atlantic right whale.  The right whale, now estimated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at a total population of 325, has long had one of the most precarious grips on continued existence of any marine species.  Unfortunately, I’ve been watching them for a while as part of my list of animals with a good likelihood of going extinct well before the end of my lifetime.  After a long and depressing struggle, however, this year is looking like a bumper calving season, with 38 calves recorded, and it looks like the right whale may finally be getting some good news.

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