Clouded Leopard Cubs 2

A female clouded leopard at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., gave birth to a litter of two cubs Monday, March 28. Staff had been on a pregnancy watch of the 2-year-old Sita (SEE-ta) for one day. Sita gave birth to the first cub at 1:15 p.m. and the second cub at 1:25 p.m. The male cub weighed 9.48 ounces and the female cub weighed 7.76 ounces.

Genetic analysis can give researchers a wealth of information about an individual animal or an entire population. But when the animal is wild, dangerous and rare, it can be difficult to obtain the best sources of DNA, which would usually mean capturing the animal to get a blood or tissue sample.