Written by Cat Clauson, Zookeeper, North Carolina Zoo 

In August, the Zoo welcomed its cutest newest addition, Layla the sand cat kitten. This birth was very exciting since it is the first time that the North Carolina Zoo has had sand cat kittens and a rare birth in general. Very few zoo’s actually have these little desert cats, so Layla’s birth is significant for her species. However, it was not easy to get here! 

Layla’s parents, Cosmo and Najma, where brought together and recommended for breeding by the Sand Cat Species Survival Plan (SSP). This program helps to make sure animal populations under managed care remain sustainable. Since the Sand Cat program is small it is very important that the genetics remain diverse and healthy. 

Najma and Cosmo were introduced in 2017 to very little fanfare. They got along and co-existed very well, but we were looking for a little more spark. We dug deep into sand cat natural history and breeding behaviors to see what we could do to help them out. We changed up lighting to simulate a more natural light cycle and we introduced sand cat feces from other male sand cats (similar to the tactic used for the lions as mentioned here!). Since sand cats are solitary, we had multiple periods of separation in the hopes that it would spur breeding behaviors. There were lots of ups and downs. Sometimes Cosmo was interested but Najma would not reciprocate. Sometimes Najma was ready, but Cosmo just didn’t seem to get it. There were times when we thought that Najma could be pregnant but turned out to be false alarms. 

Finally, in the spring of 2020 after almost three years of trying, Cosmo and Najma just clicked. And just a short 62 days later, little Layla was born. Keepers closely monitored both mom and kitten but Najma was a natural and needed no help. Najma continues to be not only are great nurturer, but great teacher, and playmate.  

Pictured Above: Cosmo, male sand cat

Layla’s name means, “daughter of the night” in Arabic and is a fitting reflection of this desert cat’s nocturnal nature and the culture of the area from which they are found which is Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Our hope is that all of our sand cats and their future offspring with inspire and educate people to learn more about them and the deserts they call home.  In the meantime, keepers here will take what we have learned from this very long process and continue to give our animals that best care we can.   

I would like to thank Trina Black, our giveaway winner, for picking the perfect name for Layla, and you can see all of the sand cat breeding program process on The Secrets of the Zoo: North Carolina! 

Pictured Above: Layla, sand cat kitten